Optimization and Determination of Doses of Phosphorous and Potassium for Citrus reticulata (Blanco) under the Agro-climatic Conditions of Sargodha, Pakistan: Effect on Yield and Fruit Quality of Citrus

Amina^1,2, Hira Tariq³, Muhammad Babar Shahzad Afzal³*, Tehseen Ashraf¹ and Shaukat Nawaz³

¹University College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
²Horticultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan
³Citrus Research Institute, Sargodha, Pakistan

*Corresponding Author: Muhammad Babar Shahzad Afzal, Citrus Research Institute, Sargodha, Pakistan.

Received: May 02, 2018; Published: May 23, 2018

Citation: Muhammad Babar Shahzad Afzal.et al. “Optimization and Determination of Doses of Phosphorous and Potassium for Citrus reticulata (Blanco) under the Agro-climatic Conditions of Sargodha, Pakistan: Effect on Yield and Fruit Quality of Citrus". Acta Scientific Agriculture 2.6 (2018).

Abstract

  Kinnow mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco.) is considered as one of the major fruit crops of Pakistan in terms of area and production. It has supreme taste, quality and health significance. High yield and better quality in citrus fruit are highly dependent upon optimum doses of fertilizer application in the soil. Keeping in view the importance of fertilizers for good quality citrus with maximum yields, this research was conducted to determine the effect of different combinations of phosphorous and potassium fertilizers upon reproductive and chemical characteristics of kinnow mandarin. The experiment was done according to Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), with seven treatments and three replications. Soil and plant samples were collected and analyzed for P and K using standard analytical methods. The maximum yield was obtained in T₅ (474.33 fruits/tree) and T6 (466.33 fruits/tree). In leaf samples, the percentage of phosphorus was maximum for T₁ and T₃, while maximum percentage of potassium was observed in the leaf samples of treatments T₄, T₆ and T₇. None of the treatment affected TSS and TSS acid ratio in Kinnow. The significantly highest value for ascorbic acid was observed for T₅, T₆ and T₇. Maximum phenolic contents were recorded with T₁. It was concluded that both nutrient sources improved the growth and productivity contributing factors. Fertility status of soil and plant was also improved with the application of both sources of nutrients.

Keywords: Citrus; Kinnow; Fertilizer; Yield; Vitamin C

Copyright: © 2018 Muhammad Babar Shahzad Afzal., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.