Current and future perspectives on tea production

Tea ( Camellia sinensis [L.] O. Kuntze) is a globally consumed beverage. It is a perennial crop and the cultivation and production of tea involves several different aspects, including the management of tea plantations, harvesting, postharvest processing, marketing, and the ability to ensure a safe, high-quality product. This review article provides a comprehensive summary of research being conducted on these factors and the current and future problems that will need to be addressed. Topics include a general introduction, major diseases, molecular biology of host/pathogen interactions, marker assisted breeding and genome wide selection, biological control, microbiome studies, factors affecting tea cultivation, bioactive compounds and their contribution to quality attributes, and value-added marketing trends. Lastly, a summary and future directions for research is provided. The overall objective is to provide a discussion of current and future areas of research whose findings can be used to ensure the stability of tea production and quality. Tea has increasingly been becoming a globally-consumed beverage. Formation of tea leaf usually face various factors, including the management of tea plantations, variety breeding, disease control, harvesting, postharvest processing, and marketing. These potential aspects could influence the stability of tea quality, types of tea leaf, the ingredient of bioactive substances, as well as human health. • Tea is a global beverage of significant economic value and health benefits. • Overview of major tea diseases, production, and processing challenges is discussed. • Health benefits, bioactive compounds and need for “green” technology are presented. • Impact of processing and storage methods on tea quality is presented. • Need to develop value-added products and organic standards for tea is discussed.