CITRUS PRODUCTION A LECTURE TO FFS PARTICIPANTS BY

MR. ALLAH DAD KHAN PROVINCIAL COORDINATOR IPM NATIONAL ISLAMABAD

PAKISTAN

MAJOR CITRUS GROWING VARIETIES OF PAKISTAN

Punjab: Distt. Sargodha, Sahiwal, Lahore, Sialkot, Jhang, Minwali, Multan, Gujranwala

KPK: Mardan, Peshawer, Swat, Swabi, Noshera, Hazzara

Sind: Sukkur, Khairpur, Nawabshah

Baluchistan: Mekran, Sibi and Kech.

1. Sweet Orange: Succri,. Mausami, Washington Navel, Jaffa, Red Blood, Ruby Red and Valencia Late.

2. Mandarines: Feutrells Early and Kinnow 3. Grape Fruit: Mash Seedless, Duncan, Foster and Shamber 4. Lemon: Eureka, Lisbon Lemon and rough Lemon5. Lime: Kaghzi Lime and Sweet Lime

. CLASSIFICATION OF CITRUS

Citrus Citrus Fortunella Poncirus Family: Rutaceae Sub family: Aurantioideae, Tribe: Citreae

Poncirus sp. Poncirus trifoliate •Rootstock •Deciduous tree • Trifoliate leaves

Fortunella Sp. • Kumquats • Naghmi (Oval Kumquat) • Mewa (Round Kumquat)

14. Citrus sp. • Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) • Sour orange (Citrus aurantium) • Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) • Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) • Lemons (Citrus limon) • Lime (Citrus aurantifolia) • Sweet lime (Citrus limettioiedes) • Pummelo or Shaddock (Citrus grandis)

15. Sweet Orange Subdivision 1. Common Oranges (Blond Oranges) • Shamouti, Valencia Late, Pera, Hamlin, Pineapple, Musambi 2. Navel Oranges • Washington Navel, Lane Late, Navelate 3. Pigmented Oranges • Blood Red, Moro, Sanguinelli 4. Acidless or Sugar Oranges • Succari 5. Seedless Oranges • Salustiana, Tarocco Navel Oranges Moro

16. Salustiana Tarocco 17. Mandarin Subdivision 1. Satsuma mandarin 2. Mediterranean mandarin 3. King mandarin 4. Common mandarin 5. Small fruited

mandarin • Kinnow • Fuetrell’s Early • Nagpuri Sangtra 18. Grapefruit 1. Seedy • Red Blush, Shamber, Rio Red, Star Ruby, Flame 2. Seedless • Marsh Seedless 19. Lemons • Eureka Lemon • Femminello • Lisbon Lemon 20. Limes • Kaghezi Lime • Tahiti Lime

CLIMATE • Commercially produces at 1500-2500

feet above sea • Subtropical fruit • Most appropriate for regions having no rainfall during fruit maturity • Temperature 27-35°C • Withstand small period of cold weather however long spell of cold weather affects its fruit yield and quality • Mandarin need

SOIL • Deep sandy loam, loam and clay loam •

pH: 5.5-8.5 • Subsoil should be free from hard pan, sticky clay and water logged conditions • Poor soils with high pH are not suitable • Soil requirements depend upon the type of rootstock used for various species and varieties. • Rough lemon is a good rootstock for dry, sandy loam soils of Punjab, whereas sour orange performs better on the moist and heavy soil of KPK.

TEMPERATURE • Seed Germination: 15-30°C •

Vegetative Growth: Optimum shoot growth: 25-31°C Optimum root growth: 25-26 °C

FLOWERING • Season: February- March • Lemon:

Throughout year, when growing in coastal regions with mild winter Spring, when growing in dry areas with hot summer and cold winter

FRUIT SETTING • Optimum Temperature for pollen

viability: 15-20°C • Pollen tube growth is temperature dependent • High temperature causes poor fruit set

PLANTING SEASON • Spring February- March • Autumn

September-October

TIME OF FERTILIZER APPLICATION Nutrients and Doses Time of

Application FYM Dec-January 1/3 N + P + K (full dose) Before flowering (Feb) 1/3 N At pea stage 1/3 N In August Micronutrients Foliar application in Feb

. PLANTING GEOMETRY • Square System Planting distance: 22´

to 25´ 64-90 plants/acre • High Density Plantation R×R: 20 ft P×P: 15 ft

IRRIGATION SCHEDULE Season/Month Irrigation Frequency

Spring (Feb-March) Once a month Summer (April-July) Twice a month Monsoon (August) Subject to rainfall Autumn (Sept-Oct) No irrigation Winter (Nov-Jan) Once a month

PRECAUTIONS IN APPLYING IRRIGATION • Irrigation water may not be allowed to touch directly to the stem of citrus tree • Field and water channels should be precisely leveled • Stop irrigation at flowering time • Stop irrigation two weeks before harvesting • Restrict irrigation in Oct-Nov • Light irrigation during frosty nights

PRE-HARVEST FACTORS Physiological disorders: • Potassium deficiency resulting in poor growth. • Calcium deficiency reduces citrus fruit color. High temperature stress: • High temperature stress effect damage to cellular membranes, proteins, and nucleic acids. Light intensity: • Excess solar energy initially results in degradation of the pigmentation in the affected area.

MATURITY ASSESMENT • Fruit colour: Golden orange • Flesh colour Pale yellow or whitish • TSS/acid ratio 8 or higher with yellow-orange color at least on 25% of the fruit surface OR 10 or higher and green-yellow color on 25% or greater of the fruit surface.

Quality Indices • Color intensity and uniformity • Firmness, size, shape, smoothness • freedom from defects including physical damage (abrasions and bruising), skin blemishes and discoloration, decay, freezing damage, chilling injury, and insect damage • Flavor quality is related to soluble solids/acid ratio and absence of off- flavor-causing compounds including fermentative metabolites.

HARVESTING METHOD • Fruits are harvested by clipping the stem with the help of sharp clippers • The stem is cut as short as possible to avoid mechanical injury

POSTHARVEST HANDLING Storage Temperature: • 3-8 ° C up to 3 months depending on cultivar, ripeness of the harvest and production area. • Optimum relative humidity: 90-95%. Responses to Controlled Atmospheres (CA) • 5-10% O2 and 0-5% CO2 can be useful for delaying senescence and for firmness. • Ethylene production rate: <0.1 mL / kg • hr at 20 ° C. • The fruit can be stored in cold storage at a temperature of 4-5°C and a relative humidity of 85-90%. • Exposure to 1-10ppm ethylene for 1-3 days at 20-30°C (68-86°F) may be used for degreening oranges

CAUSES OF LOW CITRUS PRODUCTION

• High pH • Low organic matter • Saline soils • Uncertain weather conditions during flowering (fog, frost, rains) • Use of unfit tube well water • Faulty intercropping • Inadequate and imbalance fertilizer application • Poor plant protection measures • Non judicious irrigation • Low grade nursery plants • Mechanical injury to the plants during hoeing and ploughing

SUGGESTIONS • Legislation in nursery industry should be made •

Govt. and private sector should be involved for raising the certified plants on commercial level • To make the disease free true to type progeny plants, testing training should be extended from government institutions • Only certified plants should be recommended for plantation and restrictions should be done for such nurseries those do not follow it • Quarantine measures should be observed strictly • Enhancement and conservation of existed Germplasm on more scientific basis