15 June 2026, Volume 46 Issue 3

    

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Review
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  Advances in Prevention and Control Techniques of Tea Anthracnose

  WEI Xinying, DU Yueyang, ZHOU Yide, TAN Xindong, SUN Binmei, ZHAO Hongbo, ZHENG Peng, LIU Shaoqun, MENG Hui

  Journal of Tea Science. 2026, 46(3): 381-393.

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  Tea anthracnose, a foliar pathological damage caused by Colletotrichum spp., is widely distributed in the mountainous tea gardens of Southwest China and the Jiangnan region. The disease is most severe in spring and autumn, significantly impacting tea yield and quality. This paper comprehensively reviewed the pathogen biology, disease symptoms, epidemic patterns, and control technologies of tea anthracnose, with particular emphasis on recent advances in agricultural, chemical, and biological control strategies. Furthermore, prospects for sustainable and environmentally friendly management approaches were discussed.
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  Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Tea Plants: Mechanisms and Cultivar Screening Indicators

  KONG Weiqi, WANG Liubin, XU Huan, WANG Liyuan, WEI Kang

  Journal of Tea Science. 2026, 46(3): 394-410.

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  Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and development, and has been the subject of significant research. In recent years, breeding plants with high nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) has become a prominent focus, both theoretically and practically. However, compared with the remarkable research progress achieved in staple food crops such as rice and wheat, little systematic research has been conducted into cash crops. Tea plant (Camellia sinensis) is an important cash crop, with its economic benefits primarily derived from vegetative organs (buds and leaves). Nitrogen plays a crucial role in the growth, morphology, and quality formation of tea leaves. This paper reviewed the effects of nitrogen on tea plant growth and quality, summarized research progress on nitrogen-efficient tea plants from the perspectives of physiological processes, molecular regulatory mechanisms, and genetic foundations, outlined screening criteria for nitrogen-efficient tea cultivars, and provided future research directions.
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  Research Progress on the Microbial Fermentation γ-Aminobutyric Acid Tea

  DONG Mingjie, ZHANG Ziyou, LIN Kun, TANG Xiaoyan, GONG Fuming

  Journal of Tea Science. 2026, 46(3): 411-423.

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  The unique characteristics of γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) tea as a functional food resource have made it a popular healthy beverage and a hot topic in research. This paper reviewed the common strains of microbial fermentation of GABA tea, the research status and application technology of microbial fermentation of GABA tea, and the effects of metabolites on the quality and physiological health effects of GABA tea. Meanwhile, the future research and development of microbially fermented GABA tea were also prospected.
Research Paper
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  Transfer Behavior and Dietary Risk Assessment of Afidopyropen and Its Metabolite M440I007 in Jasmine Flowers During Cultivation, Processing and Brewing

  CHEN Yixing, LAN Tianmeng, QIAN Kexin, GUO Mingming, LIANG Chizhou, ZHOU Li, LUO Fengjian

  Journal of Tea Science. 2026, 46(3): 424-434.

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  Afidopyropen is a novel biogenic insecticide with broad application prospects due to its low toxicity and high safety to non-target organisms. To evaluate the safety of afidopyropen use on jasmine flowers, the raw material for jasmine tea, this study investigated the residual behavior of afidopyropen and its metabolite M440I007 during the cultivation, processing, and brewing of jasmine flowers. The dissipation of afidopyropen on jasmine flowers in the field followed first-order kinetic, with a half-life of only 0.5 d, leading to the formation of metabolite M440I007. Both afidopyropen and M440I007 showed concentration effects during the direct drying process of fresh jasmine flowers into dried jasmine, with processing factors of 5.07-6.83 and 4.19-6.82, respectively. In the scenting-drying process, afidopyropen and M440I007 also showed an enrichment trend, with processing factors of 4.55 and 6.79, respectively. The residue level of afidopyropen in the scenting-dried sample (0.038 mg·kg^-1) was lower than that in concurrently direct-dried jasmine sample (0.057 mg·kg^-1), indicating the migration of the parent pesticide from the flowers to the tea substrate during the scenting process. The total leaching rate of afidopyropen during the brewing of dried jasmine flower was 28.5%-55.8%, with first, second and third infusion leaching rates of 16.0%-33.2%, 8.1%-16.0% and 4.4%-9.3%, respectively. Dietary risk assessment indicated that the chronic risk quotient (RQc) and acute risk quotient (RQa) for afidopyropen and M440I007 in the scenario of consuming jasmine infusion were 0.008% and 0.005%, respectively, demonstrating an acceptable level of dietary risk.
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  Phenotypic Traits and Genome-Wide Association Study of Camellia sinensis Flowers

  YANG Hong, SHAO Chenyu, YAO Lin, RAO Jiayi, PENG Lüwen, HUANG Feiyi, DUAN Jihua, XIE Nianci, CHEN Yuhong, LI Saijun, LIU Shuoqian, LEI Yu

  Journal of Tea Science. 2026, 46(3): 435-448.

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  As the primary reproductive organ of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), the flower exhibits rich phenotypic diversity, which holds significant importance for the genetic improvement of tea plants. In this study, 64 tea germplasm accessions were used to systematically investigate the phenotypic diversity of nine qualitative traits and twelve quantitative traits related to floral morphology. Based on 47 111 high-quality SNP markers, population genetic structure analysis and genome-wide association study (GWAS) were performed. The results reveal abundant genetic diversity in floral traits among the tested materials, with ovary villi, weight per 100 flowers, and the proportion of the bifurcation to the columella showing relatively large variation, which could serve as core evaluation indicators. Population structure analysis divided the materials into three genetic subgroups, which were highly consistent with the phenotypic clustering results. Through GWAS, 245 SNP loci significantly associated with 10 important floral traits were identified. Furthermore, five core candidate genes (GWHTASIV003067, GWHTASIV018433, GWHTASIV032688, GWHTASIV001183, GWHTASIV044042) were identified, which are involved in key biological processes such as growth regulation, RNA editing, cell cycle control, chromatin remodeling and transcriptional regulation. This study provided a systematic multidimensional analysis of the genetic basis of floral traits in tea plants for the first time, offering important gene resources and a theoretical foundation for research into the molecular mechanisms of floral traits and for molecular marker-assisted breeding in tea plants.
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  The Effects of Long-Term Reduction in Chemical Fertilizer Application Combined with Organic Fertilizer on Soil Fertility, Tea Yield, and Quality in Tea Garden

  DAI Cuiting, LEI Yu, LIU Hongyan, XIANG Fen, LI Saijun, LI Wei

  Journal of Tea Science. 2026, 46(3): 449-460.

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  This study systematically investigated the effects of long-term reduction in chemical fertilizer application and organic fertilizer substitution on soil fertility, spring tea yield and quality in tea garden through long-term field positioning experiments. The experiment included four treatments: no fertilizer (NF), conventional fertilization (CF), microbial fertilizer substitution (MF), and organic fertilizer substitution (OF). The results show that the spring tea yields under MF and OF treatments maintained high yield levels, which had no significant differences to those under CF. In terms of quality, compared to CF, the OF treatment increased free amino acid content by 7.8%, while the MF treatment increased caffeine content by 54.8%. Regarding soil properties, MF and OF treatments increased organic matter by 28.4% and 45.5%, and total nitrogen by 11.1% and 24.8%, respectively, compared to CF. OF promoted the formation of large aggregates (>2 mm) and mean weight diameter, significantly improving soil aggregate structure. While both substitution treatments increased carbon and nitrogen contents in aggregates and reduced the silt-clay fraction (<0.053 mm). In terms of enzyme activity, MF had the strongest promoting effects on urease, sucrase and acid phosphatase activities, while OF significantly increased catalase activity. Principal component analysis shows that OF had the highest soil fertility index (0.474), followed by MF (0.225). Correlation analysis indicates that improvements in soil structure (e.g., reduced silt and clay proportion <0.053 mm and increased aggregate proportion of 0.25-2 mm), organic carbon accumulation, and enhancements in available nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients exhibited the strongest positive correlations with spring tea yield and tea quality (e.g., free amino acid and caffeine contents). These factors may represent key soil mechanisms that synergistically enhance tea yield and quality. This study provided theoretical basis and practical reference for chemical fertilizer reduction and substitution, as well as green production in Hunan tea garden.
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  The Influence of Grass Cultivation on the Community Structure and Species Diversity of Gaocong Tea Gardens in Wuyi Mountain

  LI Chunyan, LU Zheng, LUO Xuhui, ZHENG Kaibin, DONG Zhanjie, ZHANG Tao, LIU Kai, ZHONG Zhenmei

  Journal of Tea Science. 2026, 46(3): 461-474.

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  This study compared the adaptability of different green manure varieties in the Gaocong tea gardens of Wuyi Mountain, as well as their effects on tea garden community structure and species diversity, to provide green and efficient technical support for the sustainable management of Gaocong tea gardens in Wuyi Mountain. Seven leguminous green manures were selected as experimental groups for grass cultivation in Gaocong tea gardens, with natural grass as the control (CK). The effects of two consecutive years of grass cultivation on species richness, importance value, ecological niche, community structure, and species diversity in Gaocong tea gardens were investigated, and a hierarchical analysis method was employed for comprehensive evaluation. The results show that a total of 33 species from 32 genera across 22 families of weeds were identified in the experimental area over two years (2023 and 2024), primarily from the Poaceae, Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Polygonaceae, Phyllanthaceae, and Commelinaceae. Continuous grass cultivation reduced weed species, decreased the importance value and ecological niche width of weeds, and altered weed community structure. Different green manure varieties (lines) exhibited varying impacts on weed communities across different years of cultivation, with significant differences in species diversity among green manure varieties. However, overall diversity was lower than the control. Both years of cultivation and green manure variety significantly influenced community diversity and dominance. The results of the hierarchical analysis show that the comprehensive weed control ability was Vigna unguiculata (MN) > Crotalaria pallida (ZS) > Phaseolus aureus (YN) > Cassia tora No.3 (YM003) > Lespedeza cuneata (JT) > Kummerowia striata (JY) > Cassia tora No.7 (YM007) in the first year. And it was YN > MN > ZS > YM003 > JY > JT > YM007 in the second year. In conclusion, continuous grass cultivation can effectively reduce the number of weed species and individual plants in Gaocong tea gardens, while also inhibiting weed growth. Among grass cultivation methods, MN, YN and ZS are the most suitable for managing weeds in Gaocong tea gardens in Wuyi Mountain.
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  Quantitative Analysis of Tea Anthracnose Lesions Based on Deep Learning and Color-Feature Rules

  HUANG Jieqiong, DENG Zhuoran, REN Hengze, LÜ Wuyun, LU Mengqian, WANG Xinchao, CHEN Yanan, WANG Yuchun

  Journal of Tea Science. 2026, 46(3): 475-488.

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  Anthracnose is one of the major foliar diseases that threatens the growth and development of tea plants and compromises tea quality. At present, no standardized criterion has been established in China for evaluating tea resistance to this disease. Conventional identification and evaluation practices are largely adapted from other crops, and the associated methods rely on visual inspection, resulting in strong subjectivity, low efficiency and limited accuracy. These shortcomings severely constrain both the progress and standardization of elite tea cultivar breeding. In this study, we developed an automated evaluation framework based on deep learning and image analysis. First, Mask R-CNN was used to localize and perform instance segmentation of diseased leaves from field images. Subsequently, within the leaf region of interest (ROI), fine lesion segmentation was achieved by integrating HSV color-space thresholding rules with the Excess Green (ExG) index. Based on the lesion area ratio, a 0-9 severity grading standard was established, and an automated evaluation system was developed. The results show that the model achieved mean of intersection over union (mIoU) of 92.56% for leaf mask segmentation and ratio of average precision at IoU=0.5 (R_AP@0.5) of 98.91% for leaf instance detection. For consistency validation of lesion detection, the lesion area ratios measured by the automated method were highly significantly correlated with manual reference values generated using the Fiji-Weka tool (Pearson’s r=0.946, P<0.001), meeting the accuracy requirement to replace subjective manual grading.
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  Study on the Composition and Content of Advanced Glycation End-Products in Different Teas

  NIU Li, SUN Mufang, JIANG Yongwen, ZHU Hongkai

  Journal of Tea Science. 2026, 46(3): 489-498.

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  To clarify the content and composition of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in different types of tea, 13 AGEs derived from lysine and arginine in green tea, white tea, oolong tea, black tea, and dark tea were analyzed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The results indicate that 9 AGEs were detected in all tea samples, arginine-derived methylglyoxal-hydroimidazolones (MG-Hs) being the predominant. The total AGEs contents in different tea typesfollowed the trend of green tea=white tea>dark tea>black tea>oolong tea (P<0.05). A high catechin content in tea did not effectively inhibit the formation of AGEs. Instead, they might serve as one of the contributing factors to elevated AGEs. This study aimed to characterize the overall profile of AGEs composition in tea, providing a comprehensive evaluation of protein thermal damage during tea processing.
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  Identification of 9 Synthetic Pigments Illegally Added to Tea Based on Online Purification Combined with Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Technology

  HUANG Chaoqun, WU Juan, CHEN Hongping, QIU Ruihan, HUANG Jiabo, WANG Yi, CHEN Li, HAN Chao

  Journal of Tea Science. 2026, 46(3): 499-508.

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  A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of nine synthetic pigments illegally added to tea, such as tartrazine and sunset yellow by online purification was established. The samples were first soaked in water, then extracted with ammonia water and methanol solution, purified online by Cyclone-P column, and then determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Under optimized conditions, the nine pigments showed a good linear relationship within the mass concentration range of 0.010-1.0 μg·mL^-1, with correlation coefficients greater than 0.999. The limits of quantitation (LOQ) of nine colorants were 0.10-0.50 mg·kg^-1. The mean recoveries ranged from 71.5% to 105.9%, with the relative standard deviation of ≤8.7%. This method is simple, rapid, has good selectivity and reproducibility, high sensitivity, accurate and reliable results. It has obvious advantages for the quantitative detection of illegal added pigments to tea samples.
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  In Vitro Study on the Inhibitory Effect of Tea Polyphenols on Dual-Species Biofilm of Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans

  LU Guoying, CHEN Ruonan, HUANG Xiaojing

  Journal of Tea Science. 2026, 46(3): 509-520.

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  Based on the broad-spectrum antibacterial activity of tea polyphenols (TP), it was hypothesized that TP could suppress the formation of Streptococcus mutans-Candida albicans dual-species biofilms . Preliminary in vitro validation was conducted. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against the mixed biofilms was determined by two-fold serial dilution. Planktonic growth kinetics were monitored by optical-density curves. The MTT colorimetric assay, crystal violet staining, and colony-forming unit were used to determine biofilm metabolic activity, biomass, viable cell number, and adhesion strength, respectively. The expression of virulence-related genes in the biofilms of the two species was analyzed by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. TP exhibited a MIC of 2.0 mg·mL^-1 against the S. mutans-C. albicans dual-species consortium and inhibited planktonic growth in a concentration-dependent manner. TP significantly reduced biofilm metabolic activity, biomass, and viable cell count; At concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg·mL^-1, adhesion rates dropped to approximately 60%, 20%, and 10%, respectively. The pH of the 24-hour culture supernatant in the TP-treated groups was markedly higher than that of the control and increased with concentration. Mechanistically, TP of 2.0 mg·mL^-1 downregulated key virulence gene expression in both species (gtfB, gtfD, gbpA, ftf, glgC in S. mutans and als1, hwp1, ras1 in C. albicans). These results provide initial evidence that TP can disrupt and inhibit mixed S. mutans-C. albicans biofilms in vitro, indicating its potential as a natural agent for modulating oral microecological dysbiosis.
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  Study on the Effect and Mechanism of Epicatechin in Alleviating Sarcopenia in Aged Mice

  LIU Meifeng, HUANG Ziwei, LIU Ailing, QU Zhihao, HUANG Jian'an, LIU Zhonghua, ZHANG Sheng

  Journal of Tea Science. 2026, 46(3): 521-534.

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  The aging process is inevitably accompanied by a decline in muscle strength and mass, severely impairing the health and quality of life of the elderly population. Epicatechin (EC) is one of the main secondary metabolites found in tea, possesses a variety of biological activities. Previous studies have revealed the anti-aging effects of EC, but its relationship with age-related sarcopenia remains unclear. To investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of EC on age-related sarcopenia, this study employed naturally aged C57BL/6J mice as a model. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted using a series of methodologies, including animal behavioral tests, muscle index measurements, histological analysis, Elisa assays, transcriptome sequencing and RT-qPCR validation. The results show that compared with the control group, EC treatment significantly improved the grip strength and endurance performance of aged mice (P<0.05), and significantly increased the muscle index of the gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, and quadriceps femoris muscles (P<0.05). The gastrocnemius muscle fibers in the EC treated group were larger in area and more regularly arranged. EC significantly reduced the levels of the inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α in aged mice (P<0.05). Further transcriptomic sequencing and RT-qPCR validation reveal that EC might downregulate the expression of the BCAA transaminase gene BCAT1 and upregulate the expression of the BCAA transaminase gene BCAT2, as well as the BCAA transporter genes LAT1 and LAT2, thereby regulating muscle protein synthesis. Meanwhile, it could upregulate the expressions of skeletal muscle differentiation-related genes including MyoD, MyoG, MRF4, MCK and Myf5 to alleviate sarcopenia in aged mice.
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  Molecular Mechanism of White Tea Extract Regulating EMT in Type Ⅱ Alveolar Cells via miR-146a to Inhibit Pulmonary Fibrosis in Sjögren’s Syndrome

  ZHANG Jingjing, ZHU Yuelan, WANG Chao

  Journal of Tea Science. 2026, 46(3): 535-544.

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  This paper aimed to investigate the mechanism of white tea extract on type Ⅱ alveolar cells and the expression level of microRNA-146a (miR-146a) in Sjogren’s syndrome complicated with pulmonary fibrosis. Human alveolar epithelial A549 cells were divided into different groups: the blank group was not treated with transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), the TGF-β1-induced group was treated with TGF-β1 without any intervention, the white tea extract group was treated with 50 μg·mL^-1 white tea extract after TGF-β1 induction, the miR-146a mimic group was transfected with 6 μL miR-146a mimic after TGF-β1 induction; and the white tea extract + miR-146a mimic group was intervened with 50 μg·mL^-1 white tea extract combined with 6 μL miR-146a mimic after TGF-β1 induction. Cell morphology was observed under a microscope and cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay. The fluorescence intensities of E-cadherin and α-SMA proteins were measured by immunofluorescence. The expressions of SP-C and PDGFRα were detected by Western blotting. The expression levels of miR-146a, TGF-β1 and Smad2 were determined by qRT-PCR. The results show that compared with the blank group, the TGF-β1-induced group exhibited increased cell viability, fluorescence intensity of α-SMA protein, increased expressions of SP-C, PDGFRα and TGF-β1, as well as decreased expressions of E-cadherin and miR-146a (P<0.05). Compared with the TGF-β1-induced group, the white tea extract group and the miR-146a mimic group showed decreased cell viability, fluorescence intensity of α-SMA, expressions of SP-C, PDGFRα and TGF-β1, together with increased expressions of E-cadherin and miR-146a (P<0.05), with no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). Compared with the miR-146a mimic group, the aforementioned indicators in the white tea extract + miR-146a mimic group changed more significantly (P<0.05). This study indicates that white tea extract can markedly inhibit the abnormal activation of A549 cells induced by TGF-β1, reverse the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and downregulate fibroblast-related activity indicators. Its mechanism may be related to the up-regulation of miR-146a expression and the regulation of the TGF-β1/Smad2 signaling pathway.
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  Profiling of Saponins in ‘Longjing 43’ Tea Seeds by Molecular Networking

  GUO Liang, CHANG Ya, KONG Yashuai, GAO Ying, LING Tiejun

  Journal of Tea Science. 2026, 46(3): 545-556.

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  Theasaponins are a class of oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins enriched in seeds of Theaceae plants. The high structural diversity but tiny structural differences among theasaponins are challenging analysis, isolation and structural identification of them, making it difficult for the industry to efficiently characterize the saponin profiles in tea seeds. In this study, using seeds from tea cultivar ‘Longjing 43’ as experimental material, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole-orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometer (UPLC/ESI-Q-Orbitrap MS), molecular networking, and in silico mass spectrometral data processing were employed. A total of 7 and 26 theasaponins were detected in positive and negative ion modes, respectively. The triterpenoids detected in the positive ion mode were mainly triterpenoid aglycones and their organic acid esters, whereas those detected in the negative ion mode were primarily typical teasaponins characterized by structures containing triterpene aglycones, glycosyl groups and organic acids. The combination of these techniques significantly enhanced the efficiency of theasaponin analysis and the ionization mode of mass spectrometer exhibited a bias in the detection of teasaponins. This study provided a new technical way and perspective for qualitative and quantitative research on theasaponins.
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  A Study on the Matching Effect Between Destination Types and Advertising Appeals in Tea-Tourism Integration Destinations

  YI Kaigang, YE Xiong, ZHU Yihao

  Journal of Tea Science. 2026, 46(3): 557-570.

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  With the escalating evolution of tourism consumption, tea-culture tourism has emerged as a significant growth driver, making tea-tourism integrated destinations an increasingly popular choice. However, as a niche market segment, these destinations still lack the reputation and influence of traditional scenic areas. Therefore, developing precise marketing strategies tailored to destination characteristics is essential. Grounded in the elaboration likelihood model and language expectancy theory, this study investigated the matching effect between tourism field types (aura field vs. behavior field) and advertising appeals (emotional vs. rational) on tourists’ visitation intentions, along with the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions. Through three experiments, the results indicate that: (1) There is a significant congruity effect of advertising appeals on tourists’ visitation intentions across different types of tourism fields in tea tourism destinations. Specifically, emotional appeals are more effective than rational appeals in evoking tourists’ visitation intentions for the aura field of tea tourism destinations. (2) This effect is mediated by perceived diagnosticity. In aura field contexts, of tea tourism destinations, emotional appeals are superior to rational appeals in enhancing tourists’ perceived diagnosticity, thereby boosting their visitation intentions. (3) Tourist involvement moderates both the matching effect and the mediation mechanism, with the interaction effect being significant only for high-involvement tourists. By integrating multiple theories and quantifying the concept of the tourism field, this research enriched the theoretical landscape of tea-tourism and provided actionable insights for destination managers to customize advertising strategies based on field characteristics.