Genesis

The Assam Agricultural University has the unique distinction of being the first institute in the world to have a department of Tea Husbandry & Technology which offers formal education on tea. This department was established in 1968, in joint collaboration with the Government of Assam, Tea Board of India and different Tea Producers’ Associations, to offer an entirely new curriculum of the specialized multi-disciplinary courses of study. Thus since 1968, the Assam Agricultural University has opened a new chapter by linking formal University education with the need of the premier agro-based tea industry of India, which has been playing a vital role in the national economy.

Since the late eighties of the last century, the department initiated and popularized the concept of tea cultivation in small scale in Assam. Presently there are around 1,20,000 small tea growers in the state. The Assam Agricultural University is credited with the popularization of tea as a farmers’ crop and subsequent development in the small tea sector in Assam in particular and the entire north eastern region in general.

Mandate

The mandate of the department is to maintain a steady flow of technically qualified and professionally competent personnel to the tea industry and to allied sectors as well as to create an academic base to pursue basic and applied research.

Our resources

Experimental Garden for Plantation Crops

The Experimental Garden for Plantation Crops comprises of 22.0 hectares of land. The garden has the following components besides the tea areas.

· Nursery for production of planting materials of different crops

· Tea Genetic Garden

· Tea Based Crop Model (initiated in 2005)

· Tea Seed Garden

· Rubber plantation

· Pepper vine plantation

· Coffee plantation

· Lysimeter for Root study

Tea Processing Units

The Tea Processing Units (TPU) of the department one for black CTC tea and other for Green Tea are important components in carrying out of experiments by the students and for method demonstration to trainees. The black tea factory equipped with the existing facility and machinery has a capacity to produce around 40,000 kilogram of black tea annually. The total floor area of the black tea processing unit is approximately 1900 m² whereas that of the green tea processing unit is around 270 m².

Department Laboratory

The laboratory facility is limited to day to day routine analysis of soil and plant samples basically for research of P.G. students. Facilities are also available to carry out practical classes of UG students as per course syllabus. Analytical works for which equipments are not available in the department are not available in the department are referred to the Central Instrument Facility of the university or other departments.

Library

The Departmental library has books, journals, theses, Academic Reports and other publications for the use of both the faculty and students. The department receives all publications from different Tea Research Institutes like TRA, UPASI, TRI, Sri Lanka, National Tea Research Institute, Japan, Tea Research Foundation, East Africa etc. The department also receives regular publications like Bulletins, News Letter etc published by different organizations of tea. The library contains around 120 P.G. theses, 150 books, 340 journals, 635 Academic Reports and 830 miscellaneous publications.

Transport

The department owns one Tata mini bus for carrying out the academic and extension activities. The Tea Board has provided necessary funds for procurement of these vehicles under different ongoing schemes. For covering other sponsored extension activities, hired vehicles are utilized.

Programme Information

Formal Education in Tea Science & Technology is being offered by the Department of Tea Husbandry & Technology both in Undergraduate and Post Graduate levels. The course curriculum of the department covers three broad areas, viz.,

· Tea Husbandry & Production Technology

· Tea Engineering & Processing Technology

· Tea Economics & Management including Legal Matters

Regular visits to commercial tea estates; business houses, tea auction centre and tea growing areas of the country are parts of the academic programme.

Undergraduate Programme

Courses in Tea Husbandry & Technology are offered as “Specialized Courses” from the second year second semester of the four-year B.Sc (Agri) Degree Programme along with other general courses of Agriculture. As per the 5^th Dean’s Committee, a course on plantation crops was also incorporated in general undergraduate courses. Experiential Learning Programme: ‘Tea Production & Processing Technology’ & Tea Industrial Works Experience Programme (TIWEP) are also offered by the department under the “Specialized Courses”.

Post Graduate Programme

In 1972, postgraduate degree programme was started. The department has so far produced 107 post-graduates including six students from abroad in Tea Husbandry & Technology. These post-graduates have been holding responsible positions in teaching in the universities, tea research organizations, tea industry and allied sectors in the country as well as abroad.

Under Master’s degree programme courses are offered as Core Courses, Seminar, Research, Optional and Supporting Courses.

Ph.D. Programme

Assam Agricultural University has also conferred Ph.D degree in Tea Husbandry & Technology to 12 (twelve) students under Traditional System. Ph.D degree programme under course-credit system has also been started in this discipline with effect from the 2012 – 2013 Academic Session.

Certificate course

Considering the immense need of trained manpower to maintain sustainability of the tea plantations in the long run, a ‘Certificate Course’ on ‘Tea Production Technology & Management’ of six months duration with an intake capacity of 25 students was started in 2012 with the following objectives:

· To impart knowledge and skill to the unemployed and educated rural youth and small tea growers of NE India on scientific aspects of tea cultivation and plantation management.

· To motivate, encourage and help rural youth for undertaking tea cultivation as a means of self-employment.

· To disseminate technical knowhow of tea cultivation to other small tea growers through these trained youth.

· To impart entrepreneurial ability and managerial skill to manage the tea plantations profitably.

Till 2017, Ninety (115) students have so far completed this course and almost more than fifty per cent of them are engaged in tea industry. Twenty five students are currently undertaking the course. The course begins on 1^st November every year and ends on 30^th April the following year.

Fellowships and Awards

Besides the State Merit scholarship, the following other scholarships are offered exclusively for the undergraduate and postgraduate students of this department.

Enrolment of students

Twenty seats are earmarked for this course in the undergraduate level of which five seats are reserved for candidates belonging to the tea growing states and union territories other than Assam. This unique course attracted students not only from other states of the country but also from abroad. Since inception, out of 635 students, 154 students from different states of India (other than Assam) and 14 from different countries like Iran, Uganda and Ethiopia obtained Bachelor degrees in this discipline.

Employment pattern

Students having degrees with Tea Husbandry & Technology have been gainfully employed by the tea industry in India and abroad and many of the alumni are holding responsible positions in different tea companies, research institutes like TRA, UPASI, Uganda Tea Growers Corporation, Iran Tea Organization, Auction Centres, Universities, Banks and other government and private sector enterprises.

Research Programme

The department had completed 11 nos. of Ad-hoc Research project and 3 nos. of State Funded Research Projects.

Research Programmes completed / in operation under Post Graduate research are mainly on: Tea Production Technology, Tea Engineering & Processing Technology, Tea Economics and Management Technology.

Thrust Areas of Research:

Currently the Department has emphasized on research in the following thrust areas:

· Tea based farming system/Multi-storied cropping

· Organic culture

· Conservation and characterization of tea germ-plasm

· Low-cost production technology

· Green Tea Processing

· Specialty tea

Research Projects in progress

· Evaluation of tea based cropping system in small tea sector of Upper Assam.

· Multistoried Cropping in Tea (Started in 2005).

· Organic culture in Tea (Continuing)

· Green Tea Processing

· Ergonomic studies on tea workers (Collaborative)

· Machinery prototype development for tea (Collaborative)

· Organic Pest control in tea plantation (Collaborative)

· Standardization of Processing of mulberry leaves for development of a consumable beverage and blending with green tea funded by CSB, Bangalore

· Augmentation of income of small tea growers of Assam through production and marketing of speciality tea funded by NECTAR

Extension activity & Advisory services

Assam Agricultural University is credited with the popularization of tea as a farmers’ crop and subsequent development in the small tea sector in Assam in particular and the entire north eastern region in general. The relentless efforts made by the department of Tea Husbandry & Technology to popularize tea, as a farmers’ crop in Assam is a significant contribution towards agricultural development of the state. Advisory services for the benefit of the small tea growers of Assam were first initiated at the department during 1988. An ad-hoc body called ‘Tea Advisory Cell” was constituted with four teachers of the department to render technical help to the common farmers interested to take up tea cultivation. Later with the financial assistance of the Tea Board, India the Cell was reconstituted as ‘Small Tea Growers’ Advisory Programme’ (STAP) during 1991 which is one of the most successful programmes of the university. Apart from onsite training and method demonstration, the programme maintains mentoring acivities through:

· Postal and telephonic advice to the growers

· Advice at the Head Quarter

· Issue of Land Suitability Certificate

· Organization and /or participation in workshops, Seminars and Farmers’ Fair

· Publication of literature

· Liaison with Financial Institutions, Tea Board and Government

· Maintenance of a database on small tea growers

Other Training Programmes

Besides the regular training conducted by STAP, the department has so far conducted as many as eight National Level Training sponsored by the Government of India. The department is also catering to the needs of the adjoining states like Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura and Sikkim in developing tea in those non-traditional areas by holding short term and long term training for the officers and growers of the N.E. states. So far a number of such training programmes have been conducted in the department. The department also organizes special training programmes for students from vocational institutes as and when requested.

Awareness and Quality Upgradation Campaign

The Assam Agricultural University and the Tea Board of India conducted a quality awareness and upgradation programme for the small tea growers and bought Leaf Factory owners of Assam during 2001-05. This programme had greatly benefited the small growers and the tea manufacturers in the different districts of Assam. The major objective of the campaign was to create awareness amongst the small tea growers, factory owners and leaf transporters on production of quality tea, which received positive response from the target groups. The campaign had been successful in bringing the three target groups under a one roof to find out ways and means for improving the overall quality of tea produced by small tea growers. Under this programme, 40 campaigns were conducted in major tea growing districts of Assam, e.g., Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Golaghat ,Jorhat, Karbi Anglong, Dhemaji, Darrang and Sonitpur.

Collaboration with other Organizations:

The Consultative Committee of Plantations Association (CCPA), which is the nodal agency of all the Tea Producers Associations of the country, has been extending all help in carrying out the academic programme of the department since its inception. All Assam Small Tea Growers’ Association as well as the Directorate of Tea, Govt. of Assam is also associated with the department in conducting various extension activities. The CCPA has been offering help in organizing the Tea industrial Work Experience Programme (TIWEP) for the UG students in different commercial tea estates including free food and lodging. The ICAR also offered financial help in commissioning the tea-processing unit. In addition to these, the Tea Producers’ Associations and tea companies have been providing scholarships to both UG and PG students. The Tea Board has been extending financial help for the undergraduate programme in the form of grant-in-aid since the inception of the department.

The department maintains a close collaboration with the Tocklai Tea Research Institute, Tea Research Association, Jorhat in teaching and research programme of the department. In the year 2014, Assam Agricultural University signed a MoU with Karatina University, Kenya for inter university academic programmes including research, teaching and student exchange programmes in Tea Husbandry & Technology. A MoU was signed in 2014 with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) represented by HRA Prince of Wales Institute of Engineering & Technology for academic programme on skill development under Community College concept of “Tea Factory Technician Course” offered by the department of Tea Husbandry & Technology. Another MoU was signed in 2017 with Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA for a Summer Study Abroad course on ‘Tea Farm to Cup’ offered by the department of Tea Husbandry & Technology.

 Besides these, some collaborative research works have been completed viz., on ‘Ergonomical evaluation of workers in tea industry’ with the Department of Family Resource Management, Faculty of Community Science, Developing a prototype tea dryer with the Department of Agril. Engineering and developing a package for termite control in organic tea with the Department of Plant Pathology.

Linkage with the Industry:

The department maintains a constant linkage with the tea industry and the related bodies like Tea Board, India, various Tea Associations and Tea Research Institutions etc. for its development activities. Interface between the university and the different sectors of the tea industry representing Tea Board, Tea Research Association (TRA), Planters Associations, All Assam Small Tea Growers’ Association, Eminent Tea Scientists, Alumni of the department and planters of different tea companies have been conducted in the Jorhat campus under the Chairmanship of the Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of AAU to formulate the future activities of the department in respect of curriculum development, research, training and placement of the graduates.

Faculty strength

The faculty consists of qualified and experienced teachers who are adequately trained in their respective fields of specialization. The current faculty position of the department is as follows:

Significant Achievements:

· Maintaining a regular flow of technical man-power to the tea industry and tea related organizations

· Establishing strong linkage of the University with the Tea Industry

· Popularizing and developing “Tea” as a farmers; crop in Assam and neighboring states

· Creation of self employment for the unemployed youths.

· Offering graduate and post graduate and doctoral level courses and also Certificate course on tea.

Vision for the future:

· Development of a production package for organic tea.

· Developing of tea based cropping system with inclusion of cash crops like arecanut, orange, pepper vines etc. with tea.

· Development of newer products from tea as a means towards augmenting tea consumption

· Development of eco-friendly bio-pesticides and bio-fertilizers for IPM and INM modules in tea.

· Delivery of Techno-economic feasibility models for small tea growers.