Effect of Soil Physicochemical Properties on Yield and Quality of Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck)

Abstract

A large number of biotic and abiotic factors are responsible for decline and low fruit yield both in quantity and quality observed in the citrus across the YSR district, hence the present study was conducted to determine the effect of soil physicochemical properties on fruit yield and quality of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) in YSR district of Andhra Pradesh, India. To carry out this investigation 50 sweet orange orchards aged between 12 to 13 years were selected. Soil samples were collected from 0-30 and 30-60 cm depth of the orchards, and analyzed for physicochemical properties. Determined soil parameters like pH, free CaCO3, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), organic C, and assessed the impact of these properties on fruit yield and quality of sweet orange. Results indicated that soil pH (r = -0.512**), free CaCO3 (r = -0.329*), SAR (r = -0.424**) and ESP (r = -0.522**) were influenced the fruit yield negatively significantly. Fruit yield (r = 0.360*) and fruit weight (r = 0.330*) was positively and significantly influenced by soil organic C content. Soil pH, SAR and ESP showed a significant negative relation with per cent fruit juice and vitamin C, whereas soil CEC had significant positive correlation with total soluble solids (r = 0.366**) and vitamin C (r = 0.364**) content of the fruit juice.