Improving Yield and Fruit Quality of ‘Siyahoo’ Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) by Foliar Application of Nitrogen and Harvest Time

Document Type : Research paper

Authors

1 Soil and Water Research Department, Hormozgan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Bandar Abbas, Iran

2 Horticulture Crops Research Department, Hormozgan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Bandar Abbas, Iran

Abstract

‘Siyahoo’ mandarin (Citrus reticulata) is one of the most important high-quality cultivars of citrus. The alternate bearing, especially in old trees, is one of the most important economic problems faced by this cultivar, which adversely affects the fruit quality. This study was carried out to examine the effects of the timing of nitrogen foliar application (mid-November, mid-December, and mid-January) as urea 0.5% and harvest time (the first time: concordant with the minimum commercial ratio of TSS/TA and the second time: 45 days after the first time) on improving the fruit yield and quality of ‘Siyahoo’ mandarin during five successive years from 2012 to 2017 using 36 trees. The results showed that the second harvest time (conventionally practiced) produced the highest yield compared to the first harvest time (for the lowest TSS/TA ratio). The highest yield was obtained in the second harvest time when nitrogen was sprayed in November. The significant interaction of harvest time and spray timing revealed the lower pH (~3) in the first harvest compared to the second one (~4). Nitrogen spraying in November and January yielded the highest (8-10) and lowest (<8) TSS/TA ratio, respectively. Although, the effect of the timing of nitrogen spraying on the fruit weight was not significant, spraying in January increased the fruit weight by 10% compared to the November spraying. Variations in the fruit diameter followed a similar pattern to variation in the fruit weight, which was due to their correlations. In conclusion, it is recommended to harvest the fruits after second nitrogen application, because the higher fruit yield and quality in terms of sweetness and flavor (TSS/TA ratio) are more acceptable.

Keywords


1. Ahmad M.A, Abdelfattah M.E, Mohamed Y.H. 1995. Effect of urea, some macronutrients, and growth regulator foliar sprays on the yield, fruit quality, and some vegetative characters of Washington navel orange tree. HortScience 30(4), 880.
2. Ahmadi K, Ebadzadeh H.R, Hatami F, Hosseinpour R, Abdshah H. 2019. Agricultural statistics, Vol. III: Horticultural crops. Jahad-Keshavarzi Ministry, 166 p. (In Persian)
3. Akhlaghi-Amiri N, Asadi Kangarshahi A, Arzani K, Barzegar M. 2016. Calyx biochemical changes and possibility of reducing Thomson
orange June drop by nutrition elements and growth regulators. International Journal of Horticultural Science and Technology 3(2), 179-186.
4. Albigo L.G. 2007. Effect of winter- and spring time applications of foliar urea, NPK, or K-phosphate sprays on the productivity of citrus in central Florida. Proceeding of the Florida State Horticultural Society 120, 64-66.
5. Ali A.G, Lovatt J.J. 1994. Winter application of low biuret urea to the foliage of Washington navel orange increased yield. Journal of American Society of Horticultural Science 119, 1144-1150.
6. Asadi-Kangar Shahi A, Akhlaghi-Amiri N. 2005. Evaluation of the possibility of reduction of the alternate bearing of Unshu mandarin using balanced nutrition and foliar application of urea, carbohydrates and thinning materials. Final Report, Agricultural and Natural Resource Research Center of Mazandaran. Registration No. 85/1273, 36 pp. (In Persian)
7. Dennis F.J. 2003. Flowering, pollination and fruit set and development. In: D.C. Ferree and I.J. Warrington, eds. Apples: Botany, Production and Uses. CABI Publishing, Cambridge, MA. pp. 153-166.
8. El-Otmani M, Ait-Oubahou A, Zahra F, Lovatt C.J. 2002. Efficacy of foliar urea as an n source in sub-stainable citrus production systems. Acta Horticulture 594, 611-617.
9. Fotouhi-Ghazvini R, Fattahi-Moghaddam J. 2011. Citrus growing in Iran. 3rd Publication. Guilan University Press. 368 pp. (In Persian)
10. Hayatbakhsh A, Eshkavari A.R. 1998. Assessment and determine the best consuming time of complex micro-element fertilizer and its effect on balancing alternate bearing and abscission of Thompson navel sweet orange. Final Report, Iranian Citrus Research Institute. Registration No. 78/66, 17 pp. (In Persian)
11. Jackson J.E. 2003. Flowers and fruits. Chapter 9: In: Biology of Apples and Pears. Cambridge University Press, New York, N.Y., pp. 268-308.
12. Kolier O.C, Marodin G.A, Manica I, Shwarz S.F, Barradas C.I.N. 1988. Response of mandarin (C. deliciosa L. cv. Montenegrina) to chemical manual fruit thinning. Proceeding of American Society of Tropical Horticulture 30, 45-47.
13. Kumar R, Ranvira KK. 1988. Effect of growth regulators and urea sprays on the regulation of
Yaaghoob Hosseini et al. Int. J. Hort. Sci. Technol. 2021 8(3): 227-238
238
crop in lemon (C. Limon L.). Indian Journal of Horticulture 45, 224-228.
14. Lea-Cox J.D, Syvertsen J.P. 1995. Nitrogen uptake by citrus leaves. Journal of American Society of Horticultural Science 120, 505-509.
15. Marschner H. 2012. Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants. 3rd Edition. Academic Press, Elsevier, 649 pp.
16. Moghbeli-Hanzaei M.J, Tafazzoli E. 2002. Effect of GA, NAA, Ethephone and urea on controlling alternate bearing of Kinnow mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco c.v Kinnow). Science and Techniques of Agriculture and Natural Resources 6(3), 91-102. (In Persian)
17. Moradi B. 2007. Effect of foliar application of urea on fruit set and quality of two citrus cultivars of northern Iran. 10th Iranian Soil Science Congress, p. 198. (In Persian)
18. Mudau F.N, Tuwana S, Theron K.I, Rabe E. 2004. Effect of timing and method of nitrogen application on rind color, fruit size, internal fruit quality and yield of Mihowase Satsuma’ mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.). South African Journal of Plant and Soil 21 (2), 90-93.
19. Rabe E. 1994. Yield benefits associated with pre-blossom low biuret urea sprays on Citrus spp. Journal of Horticultural Science 69, 495-500.
20. Saleem B.A.T, Malik A.U, Maqbool M, Islam-Ud-Din M, Farooq M, Rajwana A. 2008. Early winter spray of low biuret urea improves marketable yield and fruit quality of sweet oranges. Pakistan Journal of Botany 40(4), 1455-1465.
21. Stander O.P.J, Barry G.H, Cronj P.J.R. 2018. The significance of macronutrients in alternate bearing 'Nadorcott' mandarin trees. HortScience 53(11),1600-1609.
22. Van der Merwe I.S. 2012. Studies on the phenology and carbohydrate status of alternate bearing ‘Nadorcott’ mandarin trees. M.Sc. Thesis, Dept. of Horticultural Science, Stellenbosch University, South Africa, 72 pp.
23. Verreynne J.S, Lovatt C.J. 2009. The effect of crop load on budbreak influences return bloom in alternate bearing Pixie mandarin. Journal of American Society of Horticultural Science 134, 299-307.
24. Verreynne J.S. 2009. Alternate bearing in citrus. Citrus research International (PTY) Ltd. 2(5-6): 1-5.
25. Yamanishi O. 1995. Trunk strangulation and winter beating effect on carbohydrate level and its relation with flowering, fruiting and yield of Tosa Buntan Pummelo grown in plastic house. Journal of Horticultural Science 70, 85-95.