Relation between the Saturation Degree of Exchangeable Calcium, Potassium and Magnesium of Soil and the Growth of the Tea Plant (Part 4)

The effects of saturation degree of exchangeable Ca of soil on the mineral contents of new leaf, mature leaf, old leaf and young stem of tea seedlings were investigated by a pot experiment.The seedlings (Yabukita variety) were planted in Makinohara plateau yellow soil having, various saturation degree of Ca (2.3, 25, 50, 100%), K (5%), and Mg (5%).The order of N and K contents of each part was new leaf> mature leaf> old leaf>younj stem and that of P was new leaf> young stem mature leaf > old leaf.The effects of saturation degree of exchangeable Ca on the N, P and K contents of each part were not clear.The order of Mg content of each part was old leaf >new leaf >mature leaf>young stem in the range from 2.3% to 25% of the saturation degree of exchangeable Ca in the soil, but in the soils having more than 5000 exchangeable Ca, the order was new leaf> mature leaf> old leaf>young stem.Increasing saturation degree of exchangeable Ca decreased Mg content of each part. The order of Ca, Mn and Al contents of each part was old leaf > mature leaf > new leaf > young stem.Increasing saturation degree of exchangeable Ca remarkably increased Ca content of the old and mature leaves and slightly increased Ca content of the new leaf, but remarkably decre-ased Mn and Al contents of the old leaf and slightly decreased Mn and Al contents of new leaf.