Kinnow

The following factors should be taken for the propagation of citrus plants.

Use of proper root stock

The grafted plant usually consists of two parts. one part that is directly related to the ground and provides water and other nutrients to the plant from the ground through its root system is called rootstock. The second part is that which is grafted on the root stock. This is called a Scion. Root stock is very important in citrus fruits, plants planted on suitable root stock are compatible with the climate of the land and area and have resistance against viral diseases. Good yield and good quality fruit can be obtained by using proper root stock.

Acquisition and preparation of root stock seeds

When the fruit of the plants from which seeds are needed for rootstock is close to harvesting, plug it and collect it in a particular place and leave it lying for a few days so that the fruit becomes a bit soft. To remove the seed, cut the middle part of the fruit with a sharp knife in such a way that the knife is limited to the peel of the fruit. After this, twist the fruit and divide it into two parts and remove the seeds from its pulp. After this, rub the seed well with two parts of sweat soil and one part sand so that all the sourness and other substances that inhibit the seed's germination are removed from the seed. After this, wash the seeds well in the water, which are seen floating in the water, discard them because they do not have the ability to germination. After this, spread the seeds on clean paper or cloth and dry it by placing it in a shady place for 1 or 2 days.

Before sowing the seed, apply fungicides, Thiophanate Methyl or any other suitable fungicide. If these fungicides are not applied at the time of seed sowing, the nursery can suffer from various diseases in the early stages. The best time to sow seeds is August, September, but seeds can also be sown in February and March. When rootstock plants are 6 to 9 months old, they are transferred to well-prepared land. When these plants are one year old or as thick as a pencil, the desired varieties of citrus fruits are grafted on them by side grafting or T-budding in August-September or March-April. In the stages from seed sowing to grafting, In the stages from seed sowing to transplantation, if the following things are taken care, better plants can be produced.

• Rootstock seeds should be obtained from healthy and disease-free plants and fruits fallen on the ground should not be used for this purpose.

• Keep the root stock seeds soak in water for 10 minutes at 52 °C and apply fungicides before sowing.
• Clean the knife used for grafting and dip it in a solution of fungicide so that the disease could not transmitted to other plants through the knife because the viral diseases are transmitted from diseased plants to healthy plants through the grafting process.
• Grafting at an altitude of 6 to 9 inches from the surface of the ground on the root stock, otherwise the plants may suffer from diseases such as Foot rot.
• Choose a place where the nursery has not already been prepared for at least one year and the drainage system of the land is excellent and further, away from the garden.

Suitable land and climate:

It is possible to produce these fruits up to an altitude of more than 2500 feet above from sea level. The most suitable temperature for citrus fruits ranges from 25 °C to 35 °C, but they can also tolerate temperatures up to 43 °C. A higher temperature is harmful to citrus fruits. If the temperature rises above 45 °C, their fruit becomes a victim of sun burn. Citrus fruits can be successfully cultivated in every climate where the temperature does not rise above 43 °C in the summer, there is not much rain when flowers bloom, humidity is moderate for most part of the year, and areas where there is a high difference between day and night temperatures. The nights are cold. Different types of grapefruit are capable of tolerate heat up to 50 °C.

Land

It is very important for citrus fruits to have the following characteristics of the land:

• Sandy loam land with pH of 5.5 to 7 and very good drainage.
• The organic matter in the land must be at least 1 percent.
• Water from the surface of the land should be at least 8 to 10 feet deep, there should be no pebbles etc. and there should be no hard layer "Hard Pan" or calcium carbonate layer etc.
• Sodic and salt affected lands are not suitable for citrus fruits, nor citrus fruits can be cultivated in lands with salinity greater than 1,000 ppm.

Cultivation of crops in Orchards:

• Do not cultivate crops that reduce the fertility of the land, such as cotton, etc. in orchards.
• Crops that have high water requirements, such as berseem, sugarcane, etc., are very harmful to orchards. Their cultivation keeps the plants in a state of constant moisture which destroys the roots and causes the plant to degrade.
• Since sap-sucking insects are severely attacked on citrus, it should be avoided to cultivate crops on which these pests are more severely attacked, such as cotton, etc.
• Rabi and kharif vegetables can also be cultivated during the first few years of planting the Orchard.
• Peas, turnips, cabbage etc. can be cultivated in rabi season. Tinda, bitter gourd, pumpkin, onion etc. can be cultivated in kharif season. Provided that they are irrigated separately.
• No crops should be cultivated in the first few years of planting the orchards other than the recommended crops.

Selection of suitable place:

    It is very important to keep the following things in mind while selection a suitable place for planting citrus fruit orchards.

• Choose land that has very good drainage.
• Get the land analyzed for fertility for the Orchard.
• Ensure adequate canal water supply for irrigation.
• Review the availability of labor for various orchard.
• Check Availability of cold storage facilities for storing fruits.
• Ensure availability of facilities closest to the grading plant

Suitable Plantation time:

    September-October is the best planting season, the plants planted in this season are not affected by the scorching summer sun and humidity, so the chances of the plants dying are very low, while the plants planted in the spring die due to heat and lack of water. However, in case of adequate water abundance, it can also be planted in spring.

Preparation of land:

    It is very important to level the land for planting of fruit plants. When the uneven land is well levelled, cultivate green manuaring crops in it and before the monsoon, these crops should be buried into the land by rotavator or disk plough. These crops help in improving the physical condition and drainage of the soil and increase the organic matter in the soil, due to which the plants get better nutrients from the ground

Wind Break Fences:

    It is very important to planting wind breakers before the orchard layout, for which trees should be selected that are capable of growing rapidly and their twigs should start spreading from near the surface of the land. Neem, Jantar and Wild kikar can be used as wind breakers. Mango, Jamun and Ber plants are attacked by many harmful insects which cause damage to these orchards, so pesticides should be used in consultation with the local experts of the Agriculture Department for timely prevention of these harmful pests.

Layout for Plantation:

    Like other fruit trees, orchards should also be properly planted according to layout. It is very important to take care of the following things for layout.

• The layout should be done in a square method and the distance from plant to plant and row to row should be kept the same.
• If there is a large area of land and the purpose is to cultivate different varieties of citrus fruits, then the land should be divided into different equal parts.
• The orchard layout should be started from Main Road.
• Citrus fruits are usually planted at a distance of 20 feet. In this way, 108 plants can be easily planted in an acre.
• In fertile and well-drained lands, plant growth is high, so plants in such lands should not be planted at any time less than the recommended distance, i.e. preferably 20 x 20 feet. So the number of plants planted at a distance of 18x18 feet is 134 and this distance is also suitable for irrigation the orchards, where the drip irrigation is adopted, the distance between the rows can be kept 20 feet and the distance between the plants can be 15 feet, in this way the number of plants per acre will be 161. Similarly, by planting 18x14, the number of plants can be planted 172 per acreDigging of pits:

After layout of the orchard, pits of 3x3x3 feet should be dug at the place of identify the plants. The soil of the upper 1-foot layer should be kept separate and the remaining soil should be scattered in the field. Leave the pits open for 2 to 3 weeks so that the germs of disease etc. become ineffective due to the penetration of sunlight and air.

Filling of pits

Before planting, fill the pits with one part equal to one foot of soil and one part of decomposed farm manure and apply water so that the soil settles well. However, if the fungicide is thoroughly sprayed before filling the pits, then the roots of the plants will be protected from disease.

Method of planting:

After filling the pit, again make a pit slightly larger than the root ball of the plant at the correct identified place of the plant and make the plant's root ball stand straight in it. It should be noted that the root ball surface of the plant should be equal to the ground. Press the soil well around the root ball so that the air does not pass. Apply irrigation immediately after planting.

Number of plants per acre:

We started planting 22x22 feet 81 plants per acre traditionally and later 20x20 (108 plants per acre). Now a large number of plants per acre are planted in the world and the size of the plant is kept low so that the quality of the fruit can be maintained. In addition, due to the low volume:

• All farming activities can be performed easily.
• Trimming makes it easier to use a spray to improve the quality of the fruit.
• It is easy for air and light to pass through the plant.
• Nutrient and water per plant are used less and appropriate.
• A large number can increase production manifold.

Large numbers of plantations are called High Density Plantations. After the completion of various projects in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture Extension and The Citrus Research Institute, a large number of plants per acre have been recommended to the farmers and now the farmers are planting orchards at a distance of 14x8, 15x15, 12x12 etc. There is a need to maintain the size of the plant and use nutrients in consultation with experts.

Precautions after planting:

If the length is long before planting, it can be cut up to one-third from the top so that the proper root shoot ratio is maintained and there is minimal loss of water from the plant.

• Where there is a possibility of storms or winds, proper support should be given to the plants by staking with sticks. Plants should be tied with these sticks in such a way that the plant stands upright and does not bend.
• Plants should be kept under observation and irrigation should be applied when the moisture comes.
• Whatever sprouting on the root stock should be rubbed immediately so that there is no growth on the root stock.
• During the monsoon season, take care that if there are basin under the plants, then the water should not stand in them at all, but it should be removed immediately by making drains.
• Special care should be taken of irrigation during frosty nights.
• Where symptoms of termites etc. are seen, the solution of termiticides such as Imidacloprid or Chlorpyrifos should be added 10 to 15 ml per plant period and watered the plants.

Major diseases of orchards and control:

Major fungus diseases

1. Damping - off:

Symptoms:

This disease is caused by the attack of 2 or 3 types of fungi that attack the roots and leaves of plants. The roots of small plants rot and the plants wither.

Control:

Make the nursery bed in a high place. Apply adequate amount of water. Soak the seed in hot water for 10 minutes 52 °C and then sow it. Cultivate the seeds with fungicides. In case of a severe attack, spray Metalaxyl, Mancozeb, Fosetyl-Aluminium or Thiophanate-methyl

1. Gummosis: 

Symptoms:

The cause of this disease is fungus. This disease attacks all parts of the plant, root, stem branches and fruit. In case of attack on the root, the roots rot and the peel separates. In the case of attack on the stem, there are cracks in the bark and the peel bursts and the glue starts coming out, in the case of attack on the branches, the glue comes out and the branches dry up. During the rainy days, the fruit near the ground is attacked and the fruit rots, due to this disease, 20 percent of the plants die in the nursery.

Causes:

• Excess of water
• Injury of stem or roots by plough etc.          
• Close graft to the ground

Control:

• Protect the plant from getting injured
• The water should be 2 to 3 feet away from the stem.
• Keep the graft joints 1 feet high from the ground.
• Metalaxyl + Mancozeb 50 to 70 g per plant. Put under the canopy of the plant in the ground in February, March, July and August.
• Spray Fungicide Fosetyl-Aluminium.

1. Citrus Scab

The disease is spreading in Kinnow orchards. Due to them, the leaves and fruits are marked and the quality of the fruit is affected. Its attack on the used root stock on sour lime is more severe. In the case of a severe attack, the leaves falls and fruits drop off. In case of severe attack of scab on the fruit, stains are formed on the peel. The fruit becomes relatively hard and falls some times.

The effects of the disease are on the peel of the fruit but the fruit has no effect on pulp and juice etc. and is usable. The spore of the fungi disease grows and spread on old wood, dead shoots. This disease is widely spread in the following environments:

• Temperature 25°C or higher
• Humidity ratio in air is 66-70 %
• Most attacks occur in March, April and July-September.

Control:

• Prune immediately after harvesting the fruit. There should not be any dry disease affected and dead wood/twigs and thin dry branches on the plant.
• Spray copper fungicide or Bordeaux mixture immediately after pruning so that the germs of the disease present are eliminated and do not attack the next crop. Use at least 400-500 liters of water per acre for spraying
• Collect all the fallen fruits in the orchards and dig a pit and bury it and cover it with a thick layer of soil.
• Spray the following when the petals of the flower fall more than 70%

1. Copper hydroxide 2.5 to 3 g per wood
2. Bordeaux mixture
3. Azoxystrobin 2 ml per liter of water
4. Trifloxystrobin 60 ml per 100 liters of water

Remember that the plants should be washed thoroughly with spray and use at least 400 to 500 liters of water per acre.

• If it rains within 25 days of spray, repeat the same spray.
• Spray the Bordeaux mixture before the monsoon starts.
• In August-September, spray Thiophanate-methyl by mixing it with 2 ml per liter of water.
• Also use potash to build resistance against diseases.

1. Wither Tip: 

Symptoms:

    The cause of this disease is fungus. The disease attacks leaves, branches and fruit. There are light green spots on the leaves later turn brown which fall. The branches start drying from the top and the disease branches become a silver layer on which black spots are visible. In the case of an attack on the fruit, the fruit starts to rot from the side of the peduncle and falls and the button remains with the peduncle.

Causes and control:

Disease leaves and branches help in spreading the disease. From May to November, when the rains are high, the disease spreads. Lack of nutrient in the ground, sandy or rocky land. Cultivation of unsuitable crops in the orchard causes disease. Disease can be controlled by proper nutrients, water, pruning and spraying. Cut off the affected branches, spray Thiophanate-methyl 2 g per liter of water, Difenoconazole 1 ml Liter of water or copper oxychloride 2.5 g per liter of water. Avoid cultivating mixed crops. Use decomposed manure and green manure

1. Fruit Drop:

Causes:

Poor health, seasonal changes, lack of water or excess of improper crop cultivation, diseases and pest attacks cause fruit drop. Due to this stem end rot occur. When the temperature is 28 to 30 °C and the rains are high, the fruit is rot from the peduncle side.

Control:

• Apply water to the orchards in proper quantity and at the right time.    
• Do not cultivate unsuitable crops in orchards.
• Spray in case of harmful pest attack in citrus orchards.    
• Cut off the affected and dry branches of the plants in case of disease attack. 2 Sprays of copper oxychloride or Thiophanate-methyl or Azoxystrobin or Pyraclostrobin at 15 to 20 day intervals.

1. Citrus Canker:

Symptoms:

• It is a bacterial disease.

• Bacteria attack leaves, branches, and fruits.
• Brown rough spots are formed on the leaves that are stinged by touching with a finger.
• In the case of a severe attack, brown spots are formed on the twigs and fruit, due to which the fruit cannot be exported.
• In July and August, when the temperature is 20 to 30 °C and there are stormy rains, the disease spreads very fast.
• Leaf miner is helpful in spreading this disease.
• Bacteria can live on leaves for 1 to 2 year, 3 to 6 years on shoots and 2 months in the ground.

Control:

• Do not cultivate more affected varieties such as grapefruit, lemon, lime and musambi.

• Cut and destroy the leaves and affected branches under the plants.
• Get plants from a nursery that is canker-free.
• The attack on the new sprout is severe. So, spray copper base pesticides and antibiotics on the new sprouting. 
• Spray appropriate pesticides to control leaf miners

1. Greening of citrus fruits:

    This disease is caused by a bacteria that enters and spreads in the plant with the help of Citrus Psylla.

Symptoms:

The leaves from a particular branch or one side are yellow or yellowish green. The leaves are small and produce zinc-deficient symptoms in which the leaf veins are thick and bulging. The fruit is small and the peel is thick tasteless and the juice is low, the fruit remains green from one side to the end. The disease spreads due to wood and citrus Psylla. The appropriate temperature for the spread of the disease is 33-30 °C and humidity is 48 to 58 percent. The disease spreads more in the months of June to August.

Control:

• Only get graft wood from certified disease-free plants.
• Plant new plants by eliminating disease plants.
• Control citrus psylla because acts as a vector for greening in fruits. The amount of organic matter in the soil should be increased.

1. Citrus Tristeza Virus:

    This disease is caused by a virus called CTV. Jati khati has resistance against this disease.

Symptoms

The sudden death of the plant, the drying of the leaves, the cup shape of the leaves, the thickening of the veins, the fruit bears very much but the size remains small. Suddenly the plant withers but the fruit stays with it. The stem peel becomes porous like a beehive at inside. Control:

•   Spray Thiamethoxam to control the vectors (Aphid) that spread the virus of this disease.
• Wheat should not be cultivated in orchards because brown aphid on wheat causes the spread of this disease.

Pests

Prevention of citrus fruit pests:

Orchards are attacked by many harmful insects which not only reduce the lifespan of the orchards but also affect the quality of the fruit. Due to this, export quality fruits are produced very less. Up to 15% of the damage is caused by insects and diseases. If timely controlled, not only age of the plant increase, but the quality and quantity of the fruit is also high.

The main insects of Citrus orchards are as follows:

1. Citrus Psylla:

Identification:

Small, winged, brown insect, larvae are flat yellow in color, adult insects uplift their backs while sitting.

Damage:

Adults and larvae suck the sap from the leaves, shoots, and fruits of the plant. The body releases sticky substances, due to which the fungus grow on leaves. This insect causes the greening in plants. Most of the damage occurs in March, April, August and September.

Control:

As the insect is seen in March, April and August-September, pesticide should be sprayed according to departmental recommendations.

1. Citrus Thrips:

Identification:

Insects are small and orange in color. Their growth is possible when the temperature is more than 14 °C. It can produce 8 to 12 generations in a year.

Damage:

It damages flowers and fruits. This insect hides under the green leaves of the flower and scratches the surface of the soft fruit in the form of a circle, forming a circle with the fruit peduncle, which is its special identity. Ordinary people call this sign "kara". Spray Chlorfenapyr, Dimethoate etc.

1. Leaf Miner:

Identification:

Moth is white like silver while larva is light yellow in color with a brown head that forms a tunnel inside the leaves.

Damage:

This insect attacks on fresh growth. Caterpillars eat the leaves from inside and form a tunnel and the leaves become wrinkled. This insect also spreads citrus cankers. So, it is very important to control it.

Control:

Spray the recommended amount of Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid and Bi-leuphenoran in consultation with local experts of the Punjab Agriculture Department on the new sprouting.

1. Lemon Butterfly:

Identification:

The color of the butterfly is green while the wings are black, which have yellow spots and the larva becomes 2 to 3 inches in size.

Damage:

Caterpillars eat up new tillers and leaves. The branches and the buds become tanned. Mostly attacks occur in March and August, September.

Control:

As the larvae are seen on the new sprout, spray the recommended amount of Emamectin or Leuphenoran consultation with the local experts of the Punjab Agriculture Department. In addition, the larvae present on the new sprouting should be collected and killed.

1. Citrus Mealy Bug

Identification:

It is a sap-sucking insect whose larvae are very thin in the beginning, yolk-like and yellow, which later turn whitish.

Damage:

Thousands of larvae start climbing on top of the plants as they hatch out from the eggs and start sucking the sap by sitting on soft and herbaceous tillers. The leaves are yellow and remain small. In the case of an attack on the fruit, the fruit falls before ripen. This insect releases sticky substances from the body, due to which fungus grows on leaves and damage the leaves.

Control:

In April, May, the female lays eggs in the ground, which remain there till December, destroy these eggs before December. Hoeing around the stem of the plant for 6 inches and spray toxic powder on the eggs, prevent the larvae to climbing the stem, for which wrap a plastic sheet around the stem. When eggs start hatching in December and January, spray the recommended amount of Chlorpyrifos or Malathion or Cypermethrin in consultation with local experts of the Punjab Agriculture Department.

1. Citrus Scales:

Identification:

These are two types of insects. Red scales and cotton scales, red scales are fine orange red in color, which are round and flat and stick to the fruit. Cotton scales are a fine insect that wraps a cotton-like shell over itself and sticks to twigs.

Damage:

Suck sap from branches and fruit. Spots form on the fruit. In the case of a severe attack, the shoots dry up.

Control:

July-November attack is severe, so in these days, consultation with the local experts of the Punjab Agriculture Department, spray the recommended amount of Imidacloprid or Acetamiprid pesticides and add a detergent in it so that the medicine sticks to the body of the insect.

1. Fruit Fly:

Identification:

The color of the fly is reddish brown. The color of the maggot is white or yellow and the abdomen has yellow stripes.

Damage:

The female fly lays eggs inside the fruit, from which the maggots come out and grow by eating the fruit pulp. Their excretion also gets added to the pulp and the fruit rots. This fly is present throughout the year.

Control:

Collect the fallen fruit on daily basis and bury it in the ground. Apply biological traps for which 6 traps by Methyl eugenol should be used per acre. Spray the recommended amount of Spinosad in consultation with local experts of the Punjab Agriculture Department.

1. White Fly:

Identification:

The body color of the fly is covered with a yellowish and the wings are covered with white powder.

Damage:

Adults and larvae cause damage by sucking sap from the lower surface of the leaves. Honey or sugar-like secretions from its body, which causes the spread of fungi and affects the process of photosynthesis.

Control:

It causes more damage in the months of March, April, so as the whitefly is seen in these days, spray the recommended amount of Buprofezin or Imidacloprid or Acetamiprid pesticides in consultation with the local experts of the Punjab Agriculture Department.

1. Citrus Mite:

Identification:

This is a very small insect and does not look better with microscope. The color is yellowish red, there are dark brown spots on the upper surface. It is more in hot and dry weather.

Damage:

Adults and larvae damage the leaves by sucking the sap from soft fruits and green peels, the surface of the fruit becomes rough and damaged. Fruits are not edible and exportable.

Control:

Spray Propargite at the rate of 2 ml per liter of water or Emamectin 2 ml per liter of water

Irrigation for Citrus orchards:

Lack of water for orchards is not as harmful as it is excessive. However, if the lack of water persists for a long time, then the orchards are definitely affected. Irrigation is an extremely delicate problem in orchards as our farmers give excessive water to the orchards without taking care of proper irrigation times. In addition, the water given through the tubewell contains more salts than the tolerable limit of salinity for citrus fruits, due to which the orchards are in decline. The quality of fruit and production is badly affected by salt water. This kind of situation can be avoided by taking care of the following things for irrigation.

• The ground should be seen at a depth of 30 to 35 cm from 3 to 4 places under the plant, if the ground is not moist, then irrigate immediately.
• When the leaves begin to turn yellow. Especially in the summer and if large leaves start falling, the delay in irrigation can destroy the plant. So don't delay irrigation the plant.

• Even if the fruits start turning yellow from any side in the summer, the orchard is in urgent need of water.
• The exact requirement of water can be estimated from the scale of the tensiometer. When the scale is greater than 35 digits, the tree needs water.
• From April to September, the plant should not be allowed to be dehydrated because the fruit is growing in development phase and at that time the lack of water causes fruit falls, lack in juice and bad taste of the fruit. Irrigation should be given according to the needs of the plants.
• Small plants should be given light irrigation at short intervals and they should not be allowed to shortage of water. Large fruit plants should be irrigated in abundance at appropriate intervals. In summer, irrigate large plants after 10 days and small plants after 3 or 4 days, while in winter water after one month.

• If there is tubewell water, it is very important that it should be suitable for fruits. The salinity in groundwater should not be more than ppm, otherwise the bad effects of salinity will cause the plants to degrade.
• Every plant should get equal irrigation for which it is very important for the soil to be levelled.
• Be sure to look at the weather forecast before irrigation and delay irrigation in case of rain.

Other important issues related to irrigation:

Lack of water:

    Lack of water especially affects the growth of the fruit, the worst effect is the fall of the fruit, especially in June, the fall of the fruit is mostly due to lack of water.

Excess of water:

Excess moisture in the soil is harmful for citrus fruits because due to excessive moisture, diseases such as rotting of roots and gummosis affect the plants, which sometimes makes the recovery of the plant impossible and the plant has to be replaced. Due to excess of water, the leaves of the plant become yellow and start falling prematurely, sometimes they fall due to a disease called chlorosis i.e. green disease. Similarly, the cultivation of berseem also causes degradation in orchards because in winter plants need less water while berseem needs more water.

Duration of irrigation:

For young plants, irrigation interval should be kept 10 to 15 days from April to September in summer and this interval should be increased to one month or more in winter.

Special care should be taken of irrigation after the fruit is formed. Experiments have also observed that a device (tensiometer) can be done by placing at a depth of 12 inches in the ground within the canopy of the plant.

Water Quality:

The harmful effects of salt water can be reduced by increasing the amount of organic matter in the soil by adding decomposed farm manure or the use of green manure in the orchards.

Amount of Sodium Carbonate

If the amount of excess sodium carbonate exceeds the specified limit i.e. 1.25 milli mol per liter, then gypsum can be used to reduce its effects. This gypsum can be added in the powder form or placed in the channel in the form of stone so that the water passes through it and takes calcium salts with it and reduces the amount of excess sodium carbonate. It is better to get the gypsum quantity determined from the Soil Fertility Laboratory in the context of soil analysis.

Methods of watering

Flood Method:

In Pakistan, orchards are mostly irrigated by flood method, which leads to wastage of water as well as various diseases to the plants. The germs of diseases can be transferred from one plant to another and can cause severe damage by attacking the plant in the appropriate conditions. Among these diseases, gummosis and stem rot are important. Secondly, in this way, water evaporates from the soil, so it is important to use water properly to prevent it from being wasted and to get maximum benefit from water.

Through channels:

In this method the rows are parallel to both sides (right,left) Plants can be irrigated by making channels, in this way water reaches the plants by seeping from both sides and the water does not touch the stems of the plants directly, which not only reduces the risk of disease but can save more than 40 percent water. But irrigate in these channels every week in the summer, while the interval can be extended in the case of winter and rain.

Drip irrigation:

This method is now prevalent in many developed countries, it is also adopting in Pakistan, for this, ponds are made to store water, in which water can be stored and transported to plants through perforated pipes as per the need, but it requires a good amount of money in the beginning. And it requires electricity or a diesel pump to operate. The Punjab government is giving adequate subsidy to the farmers in this regard. In addition, farmers can earn a substantial income by planting more trees per acre instead of cultivating unsuitable crops in orchards.

Nutritional requirements of Citrus orchards:

It is very important to meet the nutritional requirements to get better yield and good quality fruit from orchards. Our farmers do not provide these important nutrients at the right time nor they provide adequate quantities of organic and inorganic fertilizers, including the ingredients of major and minor elements. As a result, the production of orchards and their physical production age is declining. It is very important for farmers to know the importance of all these nutrients and their proper supply.

Organic Fertilizers

    Fertilizer that is obtained from the decay of various parts of plants, such as leaves, stems and roots, or animal waste such as dung, etc. is called organic fertilizer. These fertilizers have been used since time immemorial to maintain the fertility of the soil. Poultry manure is not very suitable for orchards. The importance of organic fertilizer for the soil will be clear from the following lines:

• They improve the soil structure and help in the growth of important bacteria that increase soil fertility.
• They increase the amount of organic matter in the soil, which is severely deficient in our lands.
• Improve the soil drainage system and improve the spread and growth of roots by eliminating soil compactness.
• They make it easier for the plant to obtain important nutrients.

Inorganic Fertilizers

    Inorganic fertilizers refer to fertilizers that can be produced artificially. And they provide important nutrients to the plant immediately. Inorganic fertilizers lead to soil fertility, rapid growth of crops and increase their productivity. All crops and fruit-bearing plants are in urgent need of inorganic fertilizers. Because organic fertilizers do not immediately provide nutrients to the plant.  Organic fertilizers are made up of elements. Major elements include nitrogen, phosphorus and potash, while the elements include zinc, iron, copper, magnesium, magnesium and boron.

It is advisable that the elements should also be used every year. If given to the soil, put all the elements in December, January and in the case of spray are suitable for spraying at 4 stages.

• Before the new sprout begins.  
• Immediately after the fruit is formed
• During fruit growth        
• When the fruit begins to change color

Use the following composition for spray per 100 liters of water

Note: Use lime water to pH of this solution.

Amount of nutrients in different fertilizers

Recommendations for the use of balanced fertilizers

Proper and balanced use of organic and inorganic fertilizers is essential to achieve maximum yield and good quality from orchards. Experts have made the following recommendations in this regard depending on the age of the plant. These recommendations are for gardens planted in traditional numbers.

 Add the entire dose of phosphorus and potash in the month of December to February. Be careful in applying fertilizer so that one foot away from the stem of the plant, put the fertilizer in the canopy of the plant and light hoeing. In December-January, the fruit is usually present on the plants and the orchard owners do not fertilize on time by the order of contractor. In this case, the farmer should scratch the enclosure of the plants and add fertilizer and hoeing it and then irrigate the orchard when it is the turn of irrigation. Sometimes 1200 g of nitrogen and 750 g of phosphorus per plant can also be added annually in case of deficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus.

Harvesting, Classification and Marketing of Citrus Fruits:

• It is important to take care of two things at an early stage in the tolerance of citrus fruits.
• Physiological maturity of the fruit
• Commercial maturity of the fruit

It has also been observed that the fruit is plucked with a peduncle while harvesting. Pluck with stem and leaves with pruner or the fruit is dropped on the ground by shaking the twigs, in this way the fruit is injured and the second is that the tree causes a lot of damage to the leaves, this process negatively affects the next year's crop due to the decrease in photosynthesis. It has also been observed that the fruit is plucked even in humid weather, due to which the fruit cannot survive due to its natural strength, injury on the peel, and sometimes due to the bursting of the peel or injury, it is attacked by various diseases, which cause the fruit rot. To avoid this, the fruit should be carefully cut close to the fruit's peduncle with the help of pruner in dry weather so that other fruits do not get injured due to peduncle. Due to lack of caution in the above cases, at least 20% of the fruits are lost before reaching to the destination.

It has also been observed that fruits are placed in ordinary baskets instead of being putting in clean bags to protect them from external impurities or the fruit is placed in fertilizer bags with peduncle. Due to which the properties of the fruit, especially the peel is affected, during the delivery of fruits, it has also been observed that they are piled up through trolleys and bullock carts without proper packaging, due to which the fruit is not protected from dust, other unfavorable factors and its properties are also affected during transportation. The fruit reaches to destination in bad condition.

Now that the properties of fruits improve and meet international standards, it is very important. Therefore, it is important to follow modern recommendations in the harvesting and management of fruits.

In Pakistan, especially in the well-growing districts of Punjab, the color of the fruit begins to change at the end of November. This is due to the production of ethylene gas during the low temperature at night on these days. Due to the combination of these two things, the color of the well is much better. Although it is produced less in citrus fruits, its effect is very high on these fruits

Store temperature, humidity rate and shelf life for various citrus fruits: