Name two important beverage crops. What type of soil, temperature and rainfall is requiredfor the
cultivation of these two beverage crops?
Answers
Answer:
Tea is the most important beverage crop of India.
Climatic conditions :
(i) Temperature : The tea plant grows well in tropical and sub tropical climate. Tea bushes require warm and moist, frost-free climate all through the year. Tea bushes need temperature of more than 25°C.
(ii) Rainfall : Tea plant needs heavy rainfall ranging between 150 cm to 250 cm. The rainfall should be well distributed throughout the year.
(iii) Soil : The plant requires a light loamy soil. The soil should be rich in humus and iron content. Tea is a soil exhausting crop, so frequent use of chemical fertilisers and manure is essential.
Producers :
Major tea-producing states are Assam, West Bengal, (Hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri Districts), Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Apart from these, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Tripura are also tea producing states in the country.