QUALITY OF ‘TAHITI’ ACID LIME FERTILIZED WITH NITROGEN AND POTASSIUM IN THE SEMIARID REGION OF MINAS GERAIS

Ariane Castricini,Maria Geralda Vilela Rodrigues,José Tadeu Alves Da Silva,Inêz Pereira Da Silva

doi:10.1590/0100-29452017288

Ariane Castricini, Maria Geralda Vilela Rodrigues + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0100-29452017288

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Abstract

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate external characteristics and juice obtained from ‘Tahiti’ acid lime produced under nitrogen and potassium fertilization. This study had a completely randomized design with three replicates of four fruits of the two central plants, 4 x 5 factorial and four N doses (0, 25, 50 and 100 Kg ha-1 year- 1) and five K2O doses (0, 25, 50, 100 and 200 Kg ha-1 year- 1), totaling 20 treatments. In the postharvest period, external characteristics (size, color and skin thickness, firmness and fresh mass) and juice (content, percentage, soluble solids, technological index, pH, titratable acidity, ratio and ascorbic acid) of fruits were evaluated. Size, skin color, soluble solids content and pH of ‘Tahiti’ acid lime juice were not affected by N and K2O fertilization. Skin thickness, juice percentage and technological index increased with the N and K2O doses applied to the soil. Juice content and fruit firmness decreased with application of K2O doses. Titratable acidity and ascorbic acid content increased with K2O doses. The different nitrogen and potassium doses influenced more the juice quality than the external characteristics of ‘Tahiti’ acid lime in the postharvest period.

Highlights

The northern region of Minas Gerais accounts for 52.6% of the state’s ‘Tahiti’ acid lime (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) production
Diameter, fresh mass, soluble solids content, fruit pH, and L * and C * parameters of skin color were not influenced by the individual effects of N and K2O fertilizations
The hue angle was influenced by the effect of N doses, while firmness and juice volume were affected by K2O doses

Summary

Introduction

The northern region of Minas Gerais accounts for 52.6% of the state’s ‘Tahiti’ acid lime (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) production. In the Irrigated Perimeter of semiarid Jaíba, ‘Tahiti’ acid lime is the second most important agricultural activity, with total planted area of 1 500 ha, with production of 42,000 tons (IBGE, 2012). The region has characteristics for the development of citrus, such as low incidence of pests and diseases, rainfall around 800 mm / year and climatic conditions that, together with irrigation, allow the flowering of ‘Tahiti’ acid lime tree throughout the year (AZEVEDO et al, 2010). According to Silva (2015) in Brazil, there are few scientific publications on ‘Tahiti’ lemon fertilization, mainly with N and K2O. Maximum production and the best quality of fruits depend on the balance among nutrients. The proportion of elements in the plant tissue plays a more important role than the absolute content of each nutrient

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