Climate change forced agronomists in Turkiye to search for drought-resistant tea varieties

By Alimat Aliyeva

Scientists and agronomists in Turkiye are planning to plant drought-resistant tea varieties in order to reduce the impact of climate change on the country's agriculture, Azernews reports.

The project is being implemented in the northeastern Turkish province of Rize through the joint efforts of specialists from ÇAYKUR, TUBITAK Research Center and Recep Tayyip Erdogan University.

As part of the initiative, four drought-resistant tea varieties from Azerbaijan, China and Japan were imported to Turkiye.

In addition, the features of 2,034 types of tea stored in the National Tea Gene Repository of Turkiye were studied, which made it possible to select 12 varieties in laboratory conditions, which will be planted on special plantations and studied for three years.

As a result, a decision will be made on the most drought-resistant tea variety, which will preserve yields.

It should be noted that according to the results of the first half of the year, Turkiye supplied 2,898 tons of tea to 112 countries of the world, which brought the country about $ 14 million. Belgium, the United Kingdom and the United States remain the largest markets for Turkish tea.

Almost half (49 percent) of tea exports from Turkiye go to the Black Sea province of Rize.