Plant growth, yield and fruit quality of ‘Lane Late’ navel orange on four citrus rootstocks

P Legua,M A Forner-Giner,R Bellver,J Forner

doi:10.5424/sjar/20110901-172-10

Abstract

This study analyses the influence of four citrus rootstocks, Citrus macrophylla Wester, Gou Tou Chen (Citrus hybrid), C. volkameriana Ten. & Pasq. and Cleopatra mandarin (C. reshni Hort. ex Tan.), on growth, yield and fruit quality on Lane Late navel orange. Trees were grown in a plot in Alicante (Spain), where the soil is clay loam, with pH 8.5 and electric conductivity in the 1/5 extract: 0.643 mmhos cm–1. Yield was weighed during four harvests, fruit quality was determined in 2007 and 2009. Cleopatra mandarin and Gou Tou Chen were found to be the most invigorating rootstocks for ‘Lane Late’ in heavy and calcareous soil. Trees on C. macrophylla rootstock produced the highest cumulative yield (328.81 kg tree–1), without significant differences compared to trees on Cleopatra mandarin (292.41 kg tree–1). Rootstock significantly affected fruit quality variables. C. macrophylla and C. volkameriana would appear to induce the highest fruit weight and ripening index.

Highlights

Spain is one of the leading citrus producers supplying the fresh market world-wide
‘Lane Late’ navel orange is an important cultivar in Spain, which originated as a limb sport of Washington Navel orange in Australia and was first recorded in
C. macrophylla trees had the lowest TCSA and Gou Tou Chen and Cleopatra mandarin had the highest TCSA with significant differences

Summary

Introduction

Spain is one of the leading citrus producers supplying the fresh market world-wide. Salinity affects several areas of Castellón, Valencia and Alicante provinces (produced mainly by NaCl) and most areas of Murcia (Pérez-Pérez et al, 2009). ‘Lane Late’ navel orange is an important cultivar in Spain, which originated as a limb sport of Washington Navel orange in Australia and was first recorded in Abbreviations used: ABI (alternate bearing index), CI (colour index), CTV (Citrus tristeza virus), IVIA (Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias), RI (ripening index), TA (total acids), TCSA (trunk cross-sectional area), TSS (total soluble solids). It produces vigorous trees and has good productivity with high-quality fruits for fresh consumption. Fruits ripen in December, but are usually harvested in March in Spain when other navel oranges have already been harvested (Agustí, 2000)

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