The research and development of tea shoots picking/harvesting techniques is the core link in the tea industry's mechanized upgrading, with technological breakthroughs critical to improving tea production efficiency and quality. This paper reviews relevant research progress and analyzes the technical characteristics and application scenarios of different types of equipment combined with agronomic requirements. Studies show that bulk tea picking/harvesting equipment mainly adopts reciprocating cutting machines, which enable large-scale operations but are associated with a relatively high tea shoot damage rate and impurity content, as well as moderately poor quality. For premium tea, handheld picking/harvesting equipment has significantly improved the integrity of tea shoots by optimizing picking/harvesting structure effector and operating parameters. However, it still relies on manual visual recognition and positioning, and the level of intelligence urgently needs enhancement. Intelligent picking/harvesting technology focuses on tea shoot recognition, picking point positioning, and biomimetic end-effector design. Although breakthroughs have been made in tea shoot recognition capabilities, three key bottlenecks remain: relatively low equipment integration, moderately high failure rates, and comparatively lower efficiency than manual picking, which hinder industrial promotion. Future efforts should prioritize the research and development of intelligent, lightweight, and modular equipment, integrate agricultural machinery with agronomy, and establish a unified standard system covering equipment, agronomic measures, and operation processes. This will promote the practical application of picking/harvesting equipment, providing technical support and a theoretical basis for the tea industry's mechanized and intelligent transformation.
Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are important Ca2+ sensors that play crucial roles in plant responses to environmental stresses. However, the functions of CDPK genes in the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), especially in disease resistance, remain poorly understood. In this study, 32 CsCDPK genes were identified from the tea plant genome and classified into four phylogenetic groups. These genes were unevenly distributed across 14 chromosomes. Analyses of gene structure, conserved motifs, physicochemical properties, promoter cis-elements, and syntenic relationships indicated that the CsCDPK family is highly conserved but also shows some evolutionary divergence. Expression analyses based on transcriptomic data and RT-qPCR revealed that several CsCDPK genes were strongly induced by infection with the gray blight pathogen Pseudopestalotiopsis spp. and by exogenous salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatments. Endogenous SA, jasmonic acid (JA), and MeJA levels also increased rapidly after pathogen infection. Six genes, CsCDPK3, CsCDPK8, CsCDPK11, CsCDPK12, CsCDPK21, and CsCDPK26, were further functionally analyzed using antisense oligodeoxynucleotide-mediated silencing. Silencing of these genes significantly increased lesion size after pathogen inoculation, indicating reduced resistance. These findings suggest that the selected CsCDPK genes are likely involved in tea plant defense against gray blight disease, providing candidate genes for further functional characterization and potential resistance improvement.
Dark tea is a unique type of post-fermented tea that has gained popularity among consumers due to its distinctive flavor profile and potential health benefits. Microbial fermentation is a critical process in the production of dark tea, playing a decisive role in shaping its unique chemical composition, flavor characteristics, and bioactivity. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in research on the distinctive chemical constituents of dark tea, with a particular focus on cutting-edge fermentation control strategies. These strategies include the optimization of environmental parameters and the targeted application of functional microbial strains. By reviewing current research findings and practical techniques, this paper aims to provide a theoretical foundation and technical support for enhancing the production potential and quality of dark tea.
