DISTRIBUTION OF MINERAL ELEMENTS IN THE SOIL AND IN TEA PLANTS (CAMELLIA SINENSIS)

To understand the mineral element distribution of the soil and tea plants, we determined and analyzed the content of 16 mineral elements in the soil profile and various tea plant organs at the Yangai tea farm in Huzxi District, Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, China. The results show that the soil of the Yangai tea farm is mainly an acidic and mineral soil, which is suitable for tea plant growth. The mineral elements (i.e., Fe, S, Mo, V, and Zn) are mainly from natural sources and human activities, Se may be affected by human activities, and other mineral elements are mainly from natural sources. The tea plant has a strong ability to absorb Ca and S (especially Ca). The content of low reabsorption proficiency mineral elements (i.e., Al, Ca, Mn) in vegetative storage organs (e.g., old leaf) of the tea plant is higher than in organs with active growth and exuberant metabolism (i.e., leaf buds and flower buds). And the content of high reabsorption proficiency mineral elements (i.e., K, Mg, P, S, Mo, Cu, Ni, and Zn) in organs of the tea plant is just the opposite. In addition, the soil could provide abundant mineral elements (i.e., Mo, Se, V, Co, Cu, Ni, and Zn) for the tea plant growth, and act as the primary source of mineral elements in the tea plant. Finally, the soil within a depth of 130 cm is the mineral elements' absorption range of the tea plants in the study area. Therefore, supplies of the mineral elements from the deep soil layer should be a vital source of the mineral element absorption for tea plants, and considered when a fertilizer management plan for the tea garden is implemented, especially for tea plantations that are several decades old.