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MANDARIN
ORANGE (Citrus reticulata)
Mandarin
orange is a subtropical fruit growing in the high ranges
of Kerala. It requires deep soil rich in humus. The
crop cannot withstand waterlogging. It is grown in regions
having good drainage.
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Planting
material
Use seedlings and budded plants for planting. For raising
seedlings, extract seeds from selected fruits by squeezing.
Wash the seeds free of pulp and dry them. Make seedbeds
1.5 m long, 1 m wide and 15 cm high. Sow the seeds giving
a spacing of 13 cm in a row and 3 cm between the rows.
Thin the seedlings if necessary or plant selected seedlings
in secondary nursery. For budding, use rough lemon (jamber)
seedlings as rootstock. Raise the rootstock seedlings
in a nursery and when they are 18-24 months old, budding
may be done by the inverted "T" method. The
best time for budding is from July to September. A month
after insertion, lop off the vegetative growth of the
seedling above the bud joint completely. The budded
plants are ready for planting in 6-12 months
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Preparation
of land
Dig pits of size 70 x 60 x 70 cm at a spacing of 7-8
m at least one month in advance of planting.
Time
and method for planting
Planting is done during July-August. Lift the plants
carefully with a ball of earth around the roots and
plant them carefully without disturbing the roots.
While planting, remove the bandage around the bud
joint and keep the bud joint at least 10-15 cm above
soil surface. Remove the vegetative growth arising
below the bud union periodically
Pruning
In the early stages, give some formative pruning to
establish a strong framework. Remove all shoots arising
from rootstock below the bud union. Remove dead branches
and smear the cut ends with Bordeaux paste. Do not
prune the roots.
Intercropping
Crops like coffee, cardamom, banana and pineapple
can be planted as intercrops depending on soil fertility
status.
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Manuring
The
manuring schedule recommended is given below.
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Time
afterplanting
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FYMkg/plant
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N:P2O5:K2O
g/plant/year
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1st
year
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2
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40:20:25
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2nd
year
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4
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80:35:50
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3rd
year
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6
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160:75:100
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4th
year
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8
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300:100:150
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5th
year
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10
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600:175:300
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6th
year
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10
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800:275:750
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7th
year onwards
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10
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800:275:1000
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Apply
organic manure in May and fertilizers in two equal split
doses during June-July and in September-October. In
addition to the above manures and fertilizers, spray
micronutrients such as zinc sulphate: 500 g, copper
sulphate: 500 g, manganese sulphate: 300 g and lime:
500 g in 100 litres of water per ha twice in a year
during March and October-November.
Aftercultivation
Give a light digging or ploughing when the rains start.
For
controlling citrus butterfly, hand picking of caterpillars
and spraying with a contact insecticide are to be done.
To
control stem borer incidence, chip off the affected
new shoots and spray 0.2% carbaryl suspension once in
three months. If borer tunnels have already been formed,
inject 1% dichlorvos into the tunnels. To control aphids
apply dimethoate 0.05% or monocrotophos 0.05%.
Stem
borers (Chelidonium sp., Chloridolum sp. and Nupserha
sp.) cause withering of branches. Gum exudes from holes
on stems and branches. Accumulation of wood dust on
ground around the base is another symptom of borer damage.
Cutting
and burning of the affected branches, injecting petrol
or suspensions of carbaryl 1% using syringe and painting
the stem with carbaryl 0.3% suspension during May are
recommended against the borers.
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Among
diseases, dieback, root and collar rot are important.
Periodical removal of dried twigs and application of
Bordeaux paste on cut ends and application of Bordeaux
mixture can control dieback disease.
Against
root and collar rot, removal of soil from the base of
the trunk, scraping of the dead bark and application
of lime-sulphur have to be done. As an alternative,
smear Bordeaux paste over the treated roots and stem.
Exposing the main roots to a depth of about 30 cm is
also advised.
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