Morphological characteristics of promising forms of tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze) in comparison with elite cultivars

The article presents three promising forms (13-09, 13-13, 13-23) selected from 32 forms in the experimental plot, as well as a promising cultivar for industrial cultivation in the subtropical zone of the Krasnodar krai – Kimyn. Sochi, one of the best regionalized cultivars for industrial tea production, served as the control. An assessment of the morphological characteristics of the promising forms in both cultivars showed that stable yields were formed by the Sochi and Kimyn cultivars, while forms 13-09 and 13-13 demonstrated significant variations between the months of tea leaf collection. Analysis of the fractional composition of the productive shoot of the tea leaf showed that the Sochi cultivar and form 13-09 are appropriate for producing expensive and elite tea beverages. The yield of form 13-09 was 38.1 out of 79.9 % in May, constituting half of its seasonal yield. For the Sochi cultivar, the quality index of 2-leaf flushes reached 70 out of a possible 94 in June, constituting 75 % of its yield. The other cultivars and forms demonstrated characteristics typical for 3-leaf flushes, indicating their suitability for the production of mass-market tea.