Effects of Shade and Shelter on the Microclimate of Tea

Abstract

An experiment to separate the effects of shade and shelter has been established at the Tea Research Institute of East Africa, Kericho. To supplement the basic measurements of yield, the microc1imates created by the fine treatments, open, shelter, natural shade and artificial shade with and without shelter, have been measured using the Munitalp Mobile Meteorological Laboratory. Observations of air temperature, dew-point, wind speeds and radiation were made. Shelter belts reduced the wind speed and increased the diurnal range of temperature. The predominant effect of shade was to reduce the radiation at the tea canopy level but reductions in the diurnal range of temperature also occurred together with a slight rise in humidity and a slight reduction in wind speed. Reductions in transpiration are almost entirely due to the reductions in radiation.