Aggregate Effects of Nutrients and Gibberellic Acid on ‘Valencia’ Orange Crop Value1

Abstract

Abstract In a 5-year factorial fertilizer experiment, an increase in leaf N from 2.54 to 2.71% by soil applications of urea, reduced creasing and fruit size and increased green color on the fruit at harvest. Leaf K was increased from 0.47 to 0.67% by soil application of K2SO4 and to 0.65% by foliar application of KNO3; except for degree of fruit color and leaf N content, effects of soil- and foliar-applied K differed little and both increased yield, fruit size, and green color on the fruit and reduced creasing. Increasing leaf P from 0.132 to 0.139% had little influence on factors influencing the value of the fresh-fruit crop. Gibberellic acid (GA) sprays increased green color on the fruit and reduced creasing. The effects of N, K, and GA on reducing creasing and increasing green color on the fruit were strongly additive. There was an inverse relation between creasing and green color of fruit. Each problem can be reduced but at the expense of the other, and both problems cannot be reduced simultaneously. Packinghouse statements showed that monetary returns/tree were increased about 75% by K treatments without GA; 17% with GA alone; 61% with GA + soil-applied K; and 42% with GA + foliar-applied K.