Effects of season and nitrogen fertiliser upon the flavanol composition and tea making quality of fresh shoots of tea (Camellia sinensis L.) in Central Africa

The concentration of flavanols in fresh apical shoots of tea was highest during the cold season. Shoots plucked during slow growth conditions contained a higher proportion of simple catechins to catechin gallates, (?)-epigallocatechin being most significantly affected. The predominant effect of nitrogen fertiliser was to depress the concentration of (?)-epigallocatechin in the shoot. The significance of these findings with respect to tea quality is discussed.