Abstract:

Kenya is one of the most important tea producing countries in the world and the No.1 producer in Africa, mainly producing top quality CTC (crush, tear and curl) black tea. Tea is the most important pillar industry in the country’s economy, corresponding for about 4% of GDP (gross domestic product). About 95% of its total tea production was for expert, representing about 26% of the total export earnings. So far, the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya (TRFK) collected and preserved 250 accessions of tea germplasms, released 50 improved tea cultivars. The tea breeding technology is gradually advancing from conventional selection and crossing to molecular biotechnology. This paper reviewed the brief history and introduction of Kenyan tea industry, the research progresses of tea germplasm, breeding technique, released tea cultivars, plant new variety protection, propagation and extension of new cultivars in Kenya, in order to give some implications for the sustainable development of Chinese tea industry, in particular the tea improvement.