Tea Plant Diseases

Tea plant diseases and pests can affect the cost of your cup of morning brew. This is doubly true if you prefer organic tea. Find out about the various maladies that tea growers battle daily.

Tea, like all living things, has diseases that can damage or kill it. Besides infections by insects and worm like parasites, fungus, molds and bacteria all can seriously affect the plant.

Bacteria is difficult to defend against, but the types that will attack tea plants is small.

Xanthomonas campestris is bacteriological canker or leaf rot, which affects multiple types of plants and causes many types of spotting and rotting diseases. The most common is rotting and spotting on the leaves. This can spread quickly and is not easily removed once it covers multiple leaves and shoots.

Pseudomonas avellanae is another canker causing bacteria, which is more likely to affect other speices, but does not limit itself and can adapt to many plants.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens, known as Crown Gall, is one of the most insidious of plant diseases. It can actually spread through soil by "swimming" through ambient moisture. Fortunately, tea thrives in soil that is well drained, so the occurrence of Crown Gall is not as much of a threat as in other species of plant.

Fungal infections are far more likely with tea plants. Over watering or having soil that does not drain properly will encourage the growth of multiple fungal species, all of which attach to the tea plant and if left untreated will eventually kill it's host. There are over fifty types of fungus known to infect tea plants. Some of are listed below:

Biscogniauxia nummularia is not common to tea, but has been known to take larger plants as hosts. It is better known as Beech Tarcrust because it is normally seen on beech trees. It takes the form of generally round crusts. While on its own this fungus is not fatal to tea plants, it can introduce other forms as it attacks the bark of the larger branches.

Helicobasidium compactum is well known to many gardeners as Purple Root Rot. This affects the plant the same way that it does many common garden crops, such as tomatos. It is usually brought on by incorrect watering and drainage procedures.

Elsinoл theae is leaf scab, which attacks all types of plants. Defenses involving heavy pesticides often backfire as the toxins will kill the fungus, but if used in sufficient quanity to eradicate the problem, it can also kill the host. Careful management of the health of the host is the best way to avoid infestation.

Plant diseases are something that every gardener, farmer and plantation owner must face. As with most living organisms, tea is best protected from disease by prevention rather than treatment. Inspection of plants and removal of plants that show any signs of infection, careful monitoring of the amount of water the plants and soil receive and proper balance of fertilizer will stop more damage than chemical treatment after a disorder has occurred.

Tea can enable improvement in human health. It is capable of withstanding diseases best if the same mindset from the consumer is used by the producer - An ounce of prevention is worth... Well, you know.

Steve Green is a writer for Unity Teapots - purveyor of fine kyusu teapots.