Which of the following conditions is/are essential for tea cultivation ? 1. Tropical and sub-tropical climate 2. Heavy rainfall ranging firom 150 cm to 250 cm 3. Soil should contain good amount of lime Select the correct answer using the code given below :

Tea cultivation requires specific geo-climatic conditions. Statement 1 is correct as tea is a plantation crop that thrives in tropical and sub-tropical climates [3]. Statement 2 is also correct; tea requires heavy rainfall, typically ranging from 150 cm to 250 cm, which must be well-distributed throughout the year to ensure the continuous growth of tender leaves [2]. However, statement 3 is incorrect. Tea plants actually require slightly acidic soils, typically with a pH range of 4.5 to 5.5. High lime content (calcium carbonate) makes soil alkaline, which is detrimental to tea growth; instead, the soil should be deep, fertile, well-drained, and rich in humus and iron [3]. Therefore, only conditions 1 and 2 are essential for tea cultivation.

Sources

1. [3] INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Land Resources and Agriculture > Tea > p. 34
2. [1] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 12: Major Crops and Cropping Patterns in India > Tobacco > p. 57
3. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 30: Climatic Regions > Tea > p. 434