The Tocklai Experimental Station of the Tea Research Association plans to introduce two new drought and waterlogging resistant tea clones during November’s World Tea Congress. 

“Apart from the high yielding variety and good quality, these clones are being prepared keeping in mind the change in climatic conditions,” a spokesman was quoted as saying in the Indian press. 

“They would be drought and waterlogging resistant,” he said, adding that work on the clones was almost complete and that they would be ready in time for the World Tea Congress, which will be held at Tocklai for the first time and will celebrate the institution’s centenary. 

“Most of the [over 150] clones developed by our institute earlier are of high yielding variety and good quality but global warming and its impact on the climate in recent times has forced us to work on clones which can cope with the changing climate,” the spokesman said. “The two clones we are working on will also have the unique feature of Assam tea — strong and bright liquor,” 

Studies indicate a rise of minimum temperature from 1º to 1.5º and about 200mm decrease in the average annual rainfall since 1921 in some tea-growing areas in the state.

“These climatic changes were having an impact on tea bushes,” the spokesman said.