Effect of pruning on carbohydrate dynamics of herbal and medicinal plant species: Prospects leading to research on the influence of pruning on productivity and biochemical composition of bush tea (Athrixia phylicoides D.C.)

Pruning is an essential agronomic practice and it has been shown to be the most important operation, next to plucking, which directly determines the productivity and quality of tea bushes. In tea, pruning helps stimulate vegetative growth and prevent reproductive growth phase. In addition, pruning leads to enhanced branching and hence it rejuvenates the tea plants resulting in a greater number of tender leaves for healthier and better quality tea plants. This review illustrates the effects of pruning on yield and quality of herbal teas. Through the review, it is worthy investigating the effect of pruning and pruning time on yield and chemical compositions. It will also shed light on the effects of resting period before pruning. Lastly the review focuses on the effect of different pruning intervals on productivity of tea.   Key words: Carbohydrate dynamics, bush tea, productivity, pruning, quality.