article · Horticulturae
Low soil fertility undermines citrus yields and fruit quality, requiring targeted nutrient management. A survey in citrus orchards evaluated macro- and micronutrient levels across three soil depths alongside leaf samples. The surveyed soils were slightly alkaline, non-saline, and slightly calcareous, but substantially deficient in organic matter. Most soil samples lacked adequate nitrogen across all tested depths, whilst phosphorus, potassium, boron, and manganese decreased sharply below the topsoil. Iron and zinc levels were deficient throughout the entire soil profile. In citrus foliage, major deficits were detected in nitrogen, iron, zinc, and boron. Because the alkaline and calcareous soil conditions restrict nutrient uptake through the roots, conventional ground fertilisation alone is inadequate to support crop needs. Managing these orchards effectively requires supplementing ground fertilisers with direct foliar nutrient applications.
Deficiencies in critical plant nutrients directly decrease citrus harvest yields and degrade fruit quality. Demonstrating that standard ground fertilisers fail to nourish trees in alkaline, calcareous soils helps agronomists and growers change management practices. Implementing foliar nutrient sprays can overcome soil uptake limitations, protecting tree health and boosting orchard productivity.
The findings inform agricultural extension services and input manufacturers designing specialised foliar fertiliser products for citrus orchards facing alkaline soil constraints. As applied field research, the findings offer immediate guidance for orchard spray programmes, though developing and testing optimised commercial foliar formulations represents an early-to-intermediate stage before wide market adoption.
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Soil with low fertility is a big problem for achieving citrus productivity. In this regard, the management of macro and micronutrients is essential. Macro and micronutrient deficiency decreased the yield and the quality of citrus fruit. It is the need of the hour to classify the soil fertility status under changing climatic scenarios. The current soil fertility survey was conducted to examine the macro and micronutrient status in the citrus production area. In soil, three depths (0–15, 15–30, and 30–45 cm) were taken for sampling. For leaves, 4–6-months-old non-bearing twigs were sampled from 20 trees per orchard at breast height. Results showed that soil pH (7.1–8.4) was slightly alkaline, electrical conductivity (EC) was non-saline (<4 dSm−1), soil organic matter (SOM) was deficient (<0.86%), and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) was slight calcareous (<8%), at 0–15, 15–30, and 30–45 cm depths. The majority of soil samples were low in nitrogen (N) contents at all depths, i.e., (<0.043) 0–15 (85%), 15–30 (97%), and 30–45 (100%) cm depths. Phosphorus (P) was medium (7–15 mg kg−1) at 0–15 cm (60%) but low (<7 mg kg−1) at 15–30 (63%) and 30–45 cm (82%) depths. Potassium (K) was medium (80–180 mg kg−1) at 0–15 (69%), 15–30 (69%), and 30–45 cm (10%) depths. Boron (B) and manganese (Mn) were medium, and Cu was high in 0.15 cm, but all were low at 15–30 and 30–45 cm depths. Iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) were low at depths of 0–15, 15–30, and 30–45 cm. Most citrus leaves were deficient in N (94%), Fe (76%), Zn (67%), and B (67%). In conclusion, soil fertilization is not sufficient for optimum citrus yield because of alkaline pH and slight calcareous soil conditions in this region. Foliar application of nutrients is suggested instead of only soil fertilization, for better nutrient management in citrus orchards.
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DOI: 10.3390/horticulturae8010061
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