Organic tea production system practised in Temi organic tea estates and other tea gardens in Sikkim and Darjeeling areas since decades is a successful model of soil management. The Temi Tea estate was established in 1969 covering an area of 177 ha. The estate is located on gentle sloppy land (30–50% slope) that originate from the Tendong hill range. The soils are loamy in texture and are classified as Inceptisols. The ground surface is subject to moderate erosion. Annually, 1,00,000 kg of finished tea is produced from these tea gardens.Tea production in this estate has been switched over from conventional method to 'Organic Method' according to the guidelines of the Institute of Market Ecology (IMO) of Switzerland. This conversion initiated in 2005 has been completed. The changeover has involved strict protocols as per the organic tea production guidelines. This change in production system has successfully maintained the soil health and productivity and quality of the world famous Indian Tea. The manual of standard operating procedures includes all the procedures that are implemented and monitored in order to produce a guaranteed quality of tea. It is the basis for the control points regarding production and processing. Observation of all these practices ensures that traditions and specific features, including soil conservation and soil health, food safety and quality, are maintained. Every worker is actively involved and aware of standard operating procedures of IMO and Orthodox3 Darjeeling tea, so that preventive or corrective actions are taken whenever any deviation is noted.
Organic tea garden soils have shown i)built-up of soil organic-matter and reduced nutrient loss, ii) enhanced carbon storage, iii) reduced cost of production, iv) conserved environment, v) enhanced nitrogen fixation and nutrient cycling through inclusion of leguminous shade trees, vi) increased soil organic matter and nutrient availability and thus reduced the need for chemical fertilizers, vii) improved soil structure and its ability to absorb and hold more moisture for crop growth and most importantly viii) improvement in soil organic matter has enhanced the catch, store and release of water-efficiently and reduced soil erosion. What is more important is that there has been a significant improvement in biodiversity in the estates, in soil fauna like earthworms, micro-arthropods, and centi- and milli-pedes, and other primary shredders have drastically increased. This has a profound influence on the pest and disease dynamics in the estates. Significant reduction in pest and disease load has occurred.
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