Creating optimal nutrient conditions in soil and plants during the flower induction process of sweet lime (Citrus limettioides) under calcareous soil conditions to increase the yield

Abstract

A study was conducted on 6-year-old sweet lime trees on the Mexican lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) rootstock in a randomized complete block design with ten treatments and three replications in southern Fars to determine the appropriate time of plant supplementary feeding to increase flower production and the yield in calcareous soils. In 2016 and 2017, 40 trees that had the same planting and growing conditions, were selected to determine the flower induction time. Ten times (22nd of October, 1st, 11th, and 20th November, December, and January), four branches that had a length of 120 cm and a diameter of half a centimeter were selected on each tree in four geographical directions. At each time, the branches of three trees were ringed at a distance of 120 cm from the tip of the branch, and all the leaves were removed. At the time of flower emergence, the number of flowers was counted. The results showed that the flower induction in these trees was in early December. Based on the results of this experiment and previous research in this field, in September 2017, the 7-year-old trees grafted on the Mexican lime rootstock were treated with the foliar application of nitrogen as urea [CO(NH2)2] and zinc as zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) at three concentrations including 0, 3, and 5 g∙L–1, alone and by combination in two separate pieces in a randomized complete-block factorial design including nine treatments and three replications to increase the yield using elements involved in the flowering. At the harvest time, fruit juice, TSS, TA, vitamin C, average fruit weight, and single tree yield were measured. According to the results, the combination of urea and zinc sulfate at a concentration of 5 g∙L–1 led to an increase in the average fruit weight (58 g) and the yield (68 kg) compared to the control.