Boosting tea plant diversity, quality and resilience in Sri Lanka

Above all things, Sri Lanka is known for its tea. Introduced in the 19th century, Ceylon tea is today a multi-billion dollar industry that brings in wealth and tourism. The country has plans to expand tea production and improve tea quality, but faces serious challenges from climate change and increasing global market competition. Scientists in Sri Lanka, through the IAEA's technical cooperation programme, are now looking to a nuclear technique to overcome these obstacles by enhancing tea plant productivity through increased genetic diversity.