Citrus

Citrus 🍊

• It is grown upto 2000m altitude from sea level.

• Commercial citrus in India 

a) Mandarin orange 

b) Sweet Orange 

c) Acid limes

• Pectin of citrus is rich in Pectin and certain essential oils contains glucosides 

( Hesperidin in orange 

Lemons and Narigins in grape fruits)

Pectin is derivative of Polygalacturonic

Origin : 

South East Asia

Optimum temperature: 13-25°C

Soil : 

Well drained loam or clay loam 

Citrus is highly sensitive to excess moisture

pH: 5.5-7.5

Climate:

Santra or Mandarin orange tolerates more humidity in summer and winter

Sweet Orange:

Dry  and arid conditions with distinct summer and winter having low rainfall are most favorable

Lemon : Cool climate is required for regular bearing

Honey bees are pollinating agents.

Propagation:

✓ Mandarin Orange :

Largely  seeds except nagpur and Emperor Varieties because seed is polyembryonic 

✓ The Variety ' Emperor' is budded on Karna Khatta rootstock 

✓ Trifoliate 

✓ Ranpur lime

✓ Kodakithuli 

✓ Troyer Citrange 

Are good root stock for Mandarin.

✓ Sweet Orange : By shield budding in spring season.

✓ Lemon , Citron , Sweet lime : By Air Layering ( Commercial) or by hard wood cutting

✓ Sour lime : by seed 

✓ Sweet lime : by Mature wood cutting

Root Stocks : 

Rough lemon ( Citrus limonia )

is tolerant to tristeza virus and tolerant of saline and calcareous soils .

* Best root stock for Kinnow Mandarin

is Jathi Khatti

Planting : pit size 1m3 and distance 6-7 for Mandarin orange , sweet Orange 

Harvesting:

Marketable fruits - TSS : 

Acid ratio should be 8:1 for oranges and mandarins 

•Control of fruit drop:

• Growth Promoting substance 

i .e. 2,4 -D @ 10-20 mg/litre or

2,4,5-T @10-30 mg/litre

• Planofix @ 15 mg/litre 

Cycocel@250-500 mg/ litre 

• GA3 @ 100-300 ppm in pre blossom and @ 50-100 ppm in post blossom period 

*2,4 -D is very effective in reducing or preventive pre- harvest drop of citrus mainly because it delays development of abscission zone on the fruit stem.

Varieties : 

a) Sweet Orange :

( Citrus sinensis ) Musambi , Sathgudi/chini , Early blood red , ruby , Mediterrean Sweet  , Washington Navel

b) Mandarin Orange

(Citrus reticulata )

Khasi, Nagpur, Coorg , Emperor and Fuitrella ( Early from Nepal ) , laddu, Shrinagar Santra , Willow Mandarin , Kaula , Hilla Santra , Desi Emperor , Sikkim orange 

*Kinnow ( First hybrid)

= King × Willow leaf orange 

Developed at California research station by Frost in 1935

c) Kagzi Lime : ( Citrus aurantifolia ) : 

Kagzi

d) Lemon ( Citrus limon )

Ureka , Kaglikala  , Indore 

Seedless:

✓Lisbon 

Assam Lemon

Patilebu 

Khattalebu 

Goralebu 

e)Grape fruit: (Citrus Paradisi):

✓ Saharanpur special

✓Marsh Seedless ,

✓ Thomson 

✓ Gangapur Red

✓  Duncan ( Yellow fleshed)

f) Pummelo ( Citrus maxima /grandis)

Largest ( Shaddock)

Among citrus fruit 

Pink Fleshed - Monoembroyonic

g) Sour Orange ( Citrus aurantium )

Also called marmalade orange 

h) Citron ( Citrus Medica ) 

i) Sweet lime ( Citrus lemettoides )

✓ Pectin: in citrus , guava 

✓ Tannin - grapes , tea , mango 

✓ Malic acid - Apple , grape 

✓ Tartaric acid - grape 

✍️Agricos Vaishnavi Nimkar