Abstract:
It was reported that tea bushes of smallholdings in some areas were debilitated and are expressing certain stress
symptoms. This study attempted to understand the technology adoption level among the tea smallholders in
Neluwa and Udugama ranges and to examine their tea bush debilitation status and identify possible attributes.
Data were collected from randomly selected smallholdings. Cultivation history, technology adoption, and field
problems were identified by using a structured questionnaire and were statistically analyzed. Results show that
stress symptoms appeared in 75% of the holdings from a low to a moderate acuteness level and mostly distributed
less than 30% of the lands investigated. However, in certain cases, there has been an impact on the yield. Results
revealed that the adoption level of some of the GAPs is not at a satisfactory level and was identified as one of the
attributes of debilitation. It was found that certain pests such as Lowcountry live wood termite, Canker, Wood rot, and Horsehair blight are significantly contributing to the problem. About 28% of parasitic nematode
incidents were detected, which could make a serious consequence under the poor crop management strategies.
