Guwahati: The 114-year-old Tea Research Association (TRA) Tocklai, the world’s oldest and largest tea research institute, is now sharing its century-old knowledge with the global community.
TRA has launched LearnTea, the first integrated global tea learning platform, developed from over 100 years of expertise. Through the platform, users can access tea courses covering various aspects of tea cultivation through video lectures and course materials from anywhere in the world and receive certification from TRA.
TRA serves the research and development needs of the Indian tea industry, promoting research aimed at enhancing productivity and quality. A pioneer in tea R&D, TRA also provides extension services to the industry. The Tocklai Experimental Station was established in 1911.
“The idea of the online tea courses is to share Tocklai’s tea knowledge with both the Indian and global tea industries, while also generating revenue through these courses,” said TRA Secretary, Joydeep Phukan.
The online platform is tailored to tea enthusiasts and professionals working in tea plantations. “Our experienced resource persons will help you uncover the secrets behind maintaining thriving tea gardens, managing pests and diseases, and understanding the interplay between tea and climate change,” a TRA official said.
TRA’s technology transfer to its member estates is carried out through its advisory network, which covers 1,076 tea estates spread over 341,049 hectares across regions such as South Bank, North Bank, Upper Assam, Cachar, Tripura, Dooars, Darjeeling, and Terai. Tocklai also has a regional R&D Centre in Nagrakata, West Bengal.
The tea learning platform was launched at TRA’s 60th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Friday in Kolkata. The event featured key milestones and discussions on the future of the Indian tea industry. Dr. Dhriti Banerjee, Director of the Zoological Survey of India, served as the Chief Guest, speaking on the importance of restoring biodiversity in India’s tea gardens.
In her address, TRA Chairperson Nayantara Palchoudhuri highlighted the association’s commitment to advancing tea research and innovation. “This past year has brought challenges, including reduced funding to TRA and the effects of climate change, but we remain committed to the betterment of the global tea industry,” she said.
Climate-Smart Seed Stock: To combat climate change, TRA Tocklai has introduced the first climate-smart tea seed stock, TSS-2, which can withstand high temperatures while producing high-quality teas. This seed stock will help the tea industry adapt to the challenges posed by climate change.
TRA also released a special bulletin outlining measures to adopt in the face of adverse weather conditions. August 2024 saw higher maximum temperatures and lower rainfall compared to August 2023. The first half of August 2024 recorded a maximum temperature of 32.45°C, higher by 0.75°C compared to the same period last year. The second half of August saw a more significant increase of 3.56°C over 2023. However, September saw some relief, with the first fortnight recording a slightly lower maximum temperature of 34.26°C compared to 34.78°C in September 2023.
“The high temperatures and reduced rainfall over the past 10-12 days have negatively impacted production and led to leaf scorching. Short-term and long-term measures have been recommended to minimize these effects. The long-term measures will also help mitigate drought impacts in the coming years,” the bulletin stated.
The microbial formulations developed by TRA, in collaboration with Varsha Biotech under the BIRAC project, were released to the industry. These formulations aim to reduce excessive pesticide use, and TRA’s formulation was approved by the Central Insecticides Board in July 2024. It was officially launched at the 60th AGM.
Additionally, TRA introduced ACLIVIA, a rapid testing kit developed in partnership with Medisoft Arogyam and Luxmi Tea, which can detect seven unapproved pesticides in green leaf within 10 minutes. The kit was developed in response to increasing compliance and safety demands from FSSAI.
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