Managing peel blemishes in Kinnow mandarin

Abstract

Kinnow, a hybrid mandarin due to its prolific bearing habit and high returning capacity, is a popular citrus fruit in India. The market price of the fruits, however, is determined by their external fruit quality. The medium sized uniformly orange coloured fruits free from the blemishes/scars or physical injuries on the peel are judged as good quality fruits and these fetch high market price. The blemishes or scars are induced by various agents of biotic (insect pests like citrus thrips, mite and mealy bug; and diseases like canker and scab) and abiotic (windstorms, sunburn and cold injuries) nature and sometimes due to the faulty applications of agrochemicals. The adoption of reciprocating prophylactic and control measures at right stage, however, can reduce the incidence of peel scars.