What are the drawbacks of Golden Autumn mandarin oranges? Things to know before planting
SummaryThe peel of Golden Autumn mandarin oranges is very thin, so careless handling during picking and transport can easily bruise the fruit and cause losses, and the fruit is also easily pecked by birds during cultivation; they have relatively weak resistance to fungal diseases, and the rootstock and soil used for planting must be properly matched; because the fruit sells at a high price, the nursery stock also costs more than other citrus seedlings; the fruit's sweetness is too high and it dissolves in the mouth too readily, which makes some consumers hesitant; yields are high, and as more people grow them, the market price is affected.
Golden Autumn mandarin oranges ripen early, the fruit has no seeds, yields are relatively high and the quality is good, so they are well liked by many consumers.
Drawbacks of Golden Autumn mandarin oranges
1. Peel too thin
Thin peel makes the fruit more popular with consumers, because it is easy to peel when eating, but for growers this carries a certain risk. Because the peel is thin, protective measures must be taken during picking and transport to avoid damaging the fruit so that it cannot be sold on the market; when necessary, the peel can be thickened through cultivation. There are many birds in mountainous areas, and because the peel of Golden Autumn mandarin oranges is very thin, birds can easily peck through it and cause losses.
2. Weak resistance to fungal diseases, rootstock and soil must be properly matched
Golden Autumn mandarin oranges have relatively weak disease resistance and are especially prone to infection by anthracnose, brown spot and sandpaper disease. During cultivation, fungicides such as mancozeb and difenoconazole must be used several times a year to disinfect the trees and prevent disease infection.
If the rootstock and soil are not properly matched, the trees are prone to nutrient deficiency disorders, and the difficulty of cultivation and management increases. If the quality of the mandarin oranges is to be guaranteed, professional technical personnel must provide guidance and improvements.
3. High selling price
Because Golden Autumn mandarin oranges have high yields and strong market demand, their nursery stock costs more than other citrus seedlings. The fruit of Golden Autumn mandarin oranges also sells at a relatively high price: the wholesale buyback price at the orchard is 8-12 yuan/jin, the price in supermarkets is 19.8 yuan/jin, and the online price is 27 yuan/jin.
4. High sweetness, dissolves in the mouth
The average sweetness of Golden Autumn mandarin oranges is 12-17, and some consumers find them too sweet and worry that eating too many may cause diabetes; Golden Autumn mandarin oranges dissolve in the mouth even better than mandarin oranges, while some consumers prefer flesh that is a little crisper and more chewy.
5. Market saturation
Golden Autumn mandarin oranges can go into production 3 years after planting, and even a small fruit set can recover the costs. With good cultivation and management, yields can reach 100 jin per tree in the 4th year. Because Golden Autumn mandarin oranges have high yields, the number of growers has risen sharply, which will saturate the market and will certainly affect the price.