Smart Tea Plantations Show Promising Results with Bacillus subtilis and Nano-Calcium Liquid Fertilizer

▲ Group photo at the tea plantation participating in the "Smart Tea Plantation Bacillus subtilis Nano-Calcium Liquid Fertilizer Application" project.

Diamond Quantum Biotech Co., Ltd., a licensed company of National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), successfully developed an organic fertilizer using the university’s patented beneficial bacteria (Bacillus subtilis) combined with nano-calcium. Since September last year, the fertilizer has been applied in tea plantations at Songboling, Mingjian Township, Nantou County, alongside smart monitoring systems. The project significantly boosted both the quality and yield of tea. A demonstration was held on February 25, drawing nearly a hundred participants from academia and tea farming communities across Taiwan.

Chairman Lin Dong-Wu of Diamond Quantum noted that in the face of extreme weather—prolonged rainfall and high temperatures—crop diseases become prevalent. Leveraging their expertise in silicon dioxide and calcium carbonate production, the company, in collaboration with NCHU Professors Huang Tzu-Pi and Distinguished Professor Huang Zhen-Wen, developed this nano-calcium organic fertilizer. It enhances the tea plant’s resistance to diseases and environmental stress, significantly increasing yield and quality.

Yu Jin-Xin, owner of Ruicheng Tea Factory, emphasized his commitment to sustainable organic farming to protect future generations from pesticide exposure. Partnering with NCHU, he integrated smart technologies to manage water and nutrients, modernizing the traditional tea industry into a new era of intelligent management.

In response to Taiwan’s 2040 net-zero agricultural emissions target, Professor Huang Zhen-Wen highlighted that the jointly developed Bacillus subtilis organic fertilizer improves soil carbon sequestration, promotes tea root growth, and enhances photosynthesis and CO₂ absorption. The addition of nano-calcium further strengthens plant cell walls, increasing resistance to pests and diseases.

Professor Huang Tzu-Pi explained that Bacillus subtilis forms protective biofilms on roots and leaves, secreting polysaccharides that act like “facial masks” for the tea plant, retaining moisture and helping plants adapt to extreme climates.

NCHU Vice President and Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Professor Zhan Fu-Zhi, stressed that precise fertilizer and pesticide application via smart technology is key to achieving net-zero emissions. The Ruicheng tea plantation serves as a model for this smart agricultural transformation.。

Former NCHU Vice President and Emeritus Professor Cheng Cheng-Feng added a chemical perspective: calcium, vital for plant cell walls, can be absorbed through foliar sprays. Nano-calcium, being hydrated calcium carbonate at the nanoscale, disperses evenly in water, quickly entering the plant through stomata and releasing ions slowly to promote healthy growth.

The field trial and demonstration were jointly supported by the Plant Health Program of the NCHU Academy of Circular Economy, the Department of Plant Pathology, and the Plant Protection Technology Foundation.

News Link: National Chung Hsing University Institute of Circular Economy