Subtropical fruits

9. Citrus

• Grape fruit considered good against malaria.
• Most citrus species are polyembryonic except pummel and citron.

Propagation

a. Mandarian, sweet orange, Grape fruit

• ‘T’ or shield budding.

b. Lime and lemon

• Air layering and stem cutting.
• Pit dimension = 1x1x1 m ( Heavy soil)
• Flowering occurs in spring.

Granulation

• Pre-harvest disorder.
• Apparent drying up of juice vesicles.
• Decrease in total soluble solids, acidity and juice % and sugars.
• Sweet orange are more prone to granulation.
• Vigorous root stocks increase granulation.
• B and Zn deficiency and increased N.

10. Grape (Vitis vinifera)

• Deciduous vine, 2n=40.
• Can tolerate froast.
• Head and kniffin/ trellis system suitable.
• One year old branch is called cane.

Propagation

• By hard wood cutting.
• Pit size = 60x60x60 cm.

11. Litchi (Litchi chinensis)

• Temperature >30 ⁰C and RH < 60% cause fruit cracking.

Propagation

• Soft wood cutting, inarching, air layering, budding, splice grafting.

12. Date palm (Phoenix dactlifera L. )

• Propagation by seed or from sucker.
• Drought resistant fruit.

13. Pomegranate (Punica granatum)

• Propagation through cutting (universal, 8-10 cm long), air layering and ground layering.
• B and Ca. deficiency causes cracking of fruits.

14. Tea (Camelia sps.)

• Plucking : practice of harvesting tea leaves in 7–10-days interval.
• Training in tea is called centering.
• During rolling, 2 kinds of polyphenol oxidase are produced.

a) Thea flavins

b) Thea rubigens

• Propagation by seeds.

15. Coffee (C. arabica and C. robusta)

• Training in coffee is done by two methods.

a) Single stem system

b) Double stem system

• Topping : Removal of apical parts of the branches with some leaves.
• Nipping: Pinching off the tender buds of leaves; common in primary branches.