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29 Aug 2025
Mulch
By Firstfruits Consulting Website Articles , , , , ,

Effect of Various Mulching Materials on Crop Production and Soil Health in Acid Lime

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of mulching on acid lime during 2014-2015 in Randomized Block Design with 9 treatments and 3 replications. The highest increase on plant height (6.63 %), canopy spread in E-W (9.90 %) and N-S (7.60 %) direction was recorded by polythene mulch with black side facing upward (T8 ). The treatment also had a significant influence on yield and yield attributing parameters where T8 recorded the highest number of fruits per plant (163.0), fruit weight (50.22 g) and fruit yield per plant (7.81 kg) while dry grasses mulch (T2) recorded highest number of fruits per branch (7.50) and fruit retention (44.71 %). With respect to quality parameters of fruit, T8 recorded highest total sugar (0.40 %) and reducing sugar (0.61 %) while significant increase on titratable acidity (6.93 %) and ascorbic acid content (33.46 mg/100g) was observed in T2.

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29 Aug 2025
Fertilization
By Firstfruits Consulting Website Articles , , , , ,

Effects of Fertilization Approaches on Plant Development and Fertilizer Use of Citrus

Fertilization is an important part of citrus crop management. However, limited details are available about the fertilization approach on citrus plant development. A pot experiment for the fertilization approaches and fertigation levels were conducted in this study. Four fertilization approaches, namely, drip fertigation (DF), broadcast fertilization (CK+), hole fertilization (HF) and pour fertilization (PF) were tested. The fertigation level treatment included 100% (DF-337.5), 80% (DF-270), 60% (DF-202.5) and 40% (DF-135) fertilizer supply with DF, and the 100% fertilizer supply with broadcast fertilization were served as control (CK). The results showed that DF not only increased the absorptions of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) but also promoted citrus plant height, stem diameter and dry weight.

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29 Jul 2025
Yield
By Firstfruits Consulting Website Articles , ,

Managing Phosphorus for Citrus Yield and Fruit Quality in Developing Orchards

No calibrated phosphorus (P) soil test exists to guide Florida citrus fertilization. Applying P fertilizer to citrus when it is not needed is wasteful and may cause undesirable P enrichment of adjacent surface water. The objective of this study was to establish guidelines for P management in developing Florida grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.) and orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osb.) orchards by determining the effect of P fertilizer rate on soil test P and subsequently calibrating a P soil test for citrus yield and fresh fruit quality. Two orchards were planted on sandy soil with 3 mg•kg–1 (very low) Mehlich 1 soil test P. In Years 1 through 3, P fertilization increased soil test P up to 102 mg•kg–1 (very high).

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29 Jul 2025
Foliar Fertiliser
By Firstfruits Consulting Website Articles , , , , , , , ,

Efficacy of Foliar Urea as an N Source in Sustainable Citrus Production Systems

Foliar fertilisation was reported to be an efficient way to supply nitrogen to fruit trees and to reduce nitrogen losses to groundwater systems and risks of soil pollution and salinity. In this study we report on: 1) the effect of pH of a 1% urea solution applied prebloom and the effect of a multiple foliar-urea spray at the rate of 1% to supply 46 g N/tree to mature ‘Cadoux’ clementine mandarin trees (Citrus reticulata Blanco) on leaf N and its changes during 30 days following application; 2) the resulting effect on yield and fruit size; 3) a comparison made between effects of prebloom foliar application of urea at 0.8% or 1.6% (supplying 37 and 74 g N/tree, respectively) with prebloom soil applications of ammonium nitrate supplying 75 or 150 g N/tree on fruit size, fruit set and total yield. Results indicate that foliar urea increased leaf N content during the first 48 hours following treatment regardless of pH.

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30 Jun 2025
Washington Navel Orange
By Firstfruits Consulting Website Articles , , , , , , ,

Winter Application of Low-biuret Urea to the Foliage of ‘Washington’ Navel Orange Increased Yield

The objective of this study was to test whether a single winter prebloom foliar application of low-biuret urea would increase the yield of 30-year-old ‘Washington’ navel orange trees [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck] on Troyer citrange rootstock [C. sinensis ‘Washington’ x Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.]. All trees received a winter (November to January) soil application of urea (0.5 kg N/tree). Trees were maintained under irrigation or irrigation was withheld from 1 Oct. to 1 Mar. To determine the optimal time for foliar urea application, trees in both irrigation main plots received one application of low-biuret urea in mid-November, mid-December, mid-January, or mid-February applied at a rate of 0.16 kg N/tree.

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21 May 2025
Citrus pruning
By Firstfruits Consulting Website Articles , , , , , ,

Citrus Pruning in the Mediterranean Climate: A Review

Pruning is a common cultural practice in citrus and one of the most expensive orchard maintenance operations. Even so, technical information on citrus pruning is relatively scarce, especially in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In the Scopus database, there are only 70 articles on citrus pruning [Search by: TITLE-ABS-KEY “citrus” OR “mandarin” OR “poncirus” AND TITLE “pruning”]. In this database, a yearly average of only four papers were published in the last ten years; none of these was a review. Therefore, a review of the cutting methods and the needs of the main citrus species and cultivars and a critical analysis of pruning are needed to put together and summarize the current knowledge on and technical aspects of citrus pruning.

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17 Apr 2025
By Firstfruits Consulting Website Articles , , , , ,

The role of insect pollinators in avocado production: A global review

Insect pollination increases the yield and quality of many crops and therefore, understanding the role of insect pollinators in crop production is necessary to sustainably increase yields. Avocado Persea americana benefits from insect pollination, however, a better understanding of the role of pollinators and their contribution to the production of this globally important crop is needed. In this study, we carried out a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of studies investigating the pollination ecology of avocado to answer the following questions: (a) Are there any research gaps in terms of geographic location or scientific focus? (b) What is the effect of insect pollinators on avocado pollination and production? (c) Which pollinators are the most abundant and effective and how does this vary across location? (d) How can insect pollination be improved for higher yields? (e) What are the current evidence gaps and what should be the focus of future research? Research from many regions of the globe has been published, however, results showed that there is limited information from key avocado producing countries such as Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

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17 Apr 2025
By Firstfruits Consulting Website Articles , , , ,

Water Use Efficiency in a Deficit-Irrigated Orange Orchard

Citrus is a subtropical fruit tree with high water requirements. This study aimed to determine the effects of water deficit on an orange orchard subjected to different water-saving strategies. The study was realised in an orange orchard in a semiarid area by adopting four different water management techniques: 100% crop evapotranspiration (control); SSDI—subsurface sustained deficit irrigation; RDI—regulated deficit irrigation; PRD—partial rootzone drying treatment during five growing seasons. The experimental design foresaw a randomised block design with six replicates per treatment (24 index plants). The results of the study showed that the water-saving strategies reduced irrigation water consumption by 25% (SSDI), 33% (RDI), and 49% (PRD) compared to the fully irrigated treatment without yield reduction, thus increasing water use efficiency.

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