Reduced irrigation in high rainfall years and winter application of nitrogen reduce granulation in Imperial mandarin (Citrus reticulata cv. Imperial)

Helen J. Hofman; Hanna Toegel; Siegrid C. Parfitt; Malcolm W. Smith

doi:10.1071/CP24019

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Previous Contents Vol 75(10)

Reduced irrigation in high rainfall years and winter application of nitrogen reduce granulation in Imperial mandarin (Citrus reticulata cv. Imperial)

Helen J. Hofman ^A ^* , Hanna Toegel ^A , Siegrid C. Parfitt ^A and Malcolm W. Smith ^A

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Bundaberg Research Facility, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, 47 Ashfield Road, Kalkie, Qld 4670, Australia.

^* Correspondence to: Helen.Hofman@daf.qld.gov.au, helenh443@gmail.com

Handling Editor: Shu Fukai

Crop & Pasture Science 75, CP24019 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP24019

Submitted: 23 January 2024 Accepted: 3 September 2024 Published: 27 September 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Context

Preharvest granulation of Imperial mandarins is a significant problem for the Australian market. Causes of, and solutions for, this physiological disorder are poorly understood despite decades of research worldwide.

Aims

This research aimed to find management practices for growers to reduce granulation.

Methods

A 5-year on-farm trial in central Queensland, Australia, compared standard versus deficit irrigation and five rates of winter nitrogen application.

Key results

Reducing water (irrigation plus rainfall) in the 16–18 weeks following flowering reduced granulation in 3 of 5 years. Granulation increases with ratio of total water received to evapotranspiration, particularly in low crop load years. Higher nitrogen applications reduced granulation in 4 of 5 years, although treatment means were only significantly different at α = 0.05 in 1 year. Granulation increased with stronger early spring flush growth in a low crop load year and with later spring flush growth in one of two high crop load years. The deficit irrigation treatment had less spring flush growth and higher fruit set than the control in all years. Higher nitrogen treatments had more flush growth in high crop load years and less in low crop load years. Our data suggests competition between flush growth and fruit development for mineral resources and/or carbohydrates is a factor in the variability of granulation from fruit to fruit, but crop load is more important.

Conclusions

The three key strategies to minimise granulation are to maintain high crop loads, reduce irrigation after flowering, and apply sufficient nitrogen in winter.

Implications

This research will improve fruit quality for the consumer and financial returns to growers.

Keywords: competition, crop load, dry flesh, flush, granulation, irrigation, mandarin, nitrogen nutrition, water potential.

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