EFFECT OF POTTING MEDIA ON THE GROWTH OF RANGPUR LIME (Citrus limonia Osbeck) AND AUSTRALIAN SOUR ORANGE (Citrus aurantium) ROOT STOCK SEEDLINGS

Abstract

Present investigation was carried out at AICRP on Fruits, Citrus Research Station, Tirupati, during the year
2014-2015. Two months old Rangpur lime and Australian sour orange seedlings were selected for transplanting into
different potting media contained poly bags to study their effect on growth and establishment. The results indicated
that in Rangpur lime seedlings, highest values for plant height (26.84 cm), number of leaves per seedling (33.95),
stem girth (0.78 cm), length of tap root (22.85 cm), number of secondary roots per seedling (15), canopy spread (15.32
cm2), leaf area per seedling (67.27 cm2), SCRM readings (70.64), leaf dry weight per plant (5.17 g), root dry weight per
plant (3.65 g), total dry weight of plant (10.35 g) were recorded in the treatment-7 containing Soil + Sand + Vermicompost
@ 1:1:1 v/v + AM + Trichoderma reesei (TCT-10) @ 5g bag-1 each per bag followed by treatment-5 composed of Soil
+ Pressmud + Vermicompost @ 1:1:1 v/v + AM [5g]. Highest number of fibrous roots per plant was recorded in
treatment-5 (Soil + Pressmud + Vermicompost @ 1:1:1 v/v + AM [5g]). Lowest growth values were recorded in control
treatment where standard potting mixture of soil, sand, FYM used in 1:1:1: ratio. In Australian sour orange seedlings,
highest values for plant height (22.75 cm), number of leaves per seedling (28.97), stem girth (0.62 cm), length of tap
root (19.59 cm), number of secondary roots per seedling (14.87), number of fibrous roots (122.61), canopy spread
(12.87 cm2), leaf area per seedling (52.44 cm2), SCMR readings (68.45), leaf dry weight per plant (4.37 g), root dry
weight per plant (2.51 g), total dry weight of plant (9.94 g) were recorded with treatment-7 combination of Soil + Sand
+ Vermicompost @ 1:1:1 v/v + AM + Trichoderma reesei (TCT-10) @ 5g bag-1 followed by Trearment-5 (Soil +
Pressmud + Vermicompost @ 1:1:1 v/v + AM [5g]). Lowest values for all parameters were recorded in control plants.