Detailed Explanation of Key Points for Pollution-Free Cultivation Techniques of Navel Orange

Navel orange is now a project that many growers are willing to choose. It is not only limited to eating fresh; it can also be juiced, its peel can be soaked in water to drink, and its juice is also used by people as a seasoning for cooking. With so many functions, how should navel orange be grown? Let's take a look together below!

Pollution-Free Cultivation Techniques of Navel Orange

1. Orchard establishment. Navel orange is suitable for growing in areas with an annual accumulated temperature of ≥10° of 4500℃-6500℃, an average annual temperature of 15℃-19℃, a minimum temperature of minus 6.5℃, a maximum temperature of 38℃, annual rainfall of more than 1000 mm, and relative air humidity of 65%-72%. For orchard establishment on hillsides, a slope of 15° or less is better; where the slope is steep, horizontal terraces must be built. The slope should face south, southeast, or southwest, with deep and fertile soil, sufficient water sources, and convenient transportation. For converting paddy fields into orchards, convenient drainage and irrigation are required. When establishing the orchard, the plow pan must be broken up. The orchard site should be far from towns, with no factories, mines, hospitals, or garbage dumps nearby. The content of various heavy metals and harmful substances in the soil must meet the requirements of pollution-free cultivation. In addition, the main roads, branch roads, and cultivation paths should be planned according to the size of the orchard, water conservancy and sprinkler irrigation facilities should be built, and taller trees should be retained or planted on the windward side of the orchard as a shelterbelt.

2. When establishing the orchard, deeply plow the whole orchard to 20 cm, and dig planting pits or planting trenches 1 m square at a spacing of 2-3 m × 3-4 m. First place coarse organic fertilizer, plus an appropriate amount of calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer and lime, into the bottom of the pits. For each cubic meter, then use 50 kg of pig or cattle pen manure mixed with soil to level the pit. Finally, use 1 kg of rotted barnyard manure plus 0.5 kg of compound fertilizer, mixed with fine soil, to build a square planting mound 20-30 cm above the soil surface.

3. When planting, arrange the seedling root system evenly, spread it out layer by layer, then fill with soil, compact it, and water thoroughly to settle the roots. The planting depth should be such that after the soil settles, the graft union is exposed 2-3 cm above the ground.

Planting Time of Navel Orange

Navel orange seedling planting is divided into two seasons: spring and autumn. Spring planting is carried out from mid-February to early March before spring buds sprout. If the seedlings have already sprouted and produced shoots at this time, the new buds should be removed before transplanting. Autumn planting is carried out before the end of October after the autumn shoots of the seedlings have matured. It should not be too late, so as to avoid excessively low temperatures affecting survival, especially in places with low winter temperatures and freezing, where caution should be exercised. Using container seedlings or seedlings that have undergone temporary planting, planting can be done throughout the year, but the best times are May-June after the spring shoots mature and October after the autumn shoots mature.

Field Management of Navel Orange

1. Watering to maintain moisture. After the seedlings are planted, if there are continuous sunny days with strong sunlight and dry air, dry grass can be spread over the tree disc and combined with irrigation for insulation, watering 2-3 times per week. During continuous rainy days, attention should be paid to opening ditches for drainage to prevent waterlogging, which can cause root rot and seedling death.

2. Staking for support. After the seedlings are planted, immediately set up a small bamboo pole beside the seedling and tie it to the seedling with plastic rope to avoid wind shaking affecting survival.

3. Apply thin fertilizer frequently. After the plants survive, begin applying dilute decomposed organic liquid fertilizer, then once every 10-15 days thereafter. Start thin and then make it stronger, but after the autumn shoots mature and in winter, soil fertilization should be stopped.

4. Shallow tillage and weeding. Before each application of liquid fertilizer, the tree disc should be shallowly tilled and weeded at the appropriate time to keep the tree disc soil loose and well aerated. It is best to cover with dry grass and practice no-tillage on the tree disc.

5. Pay attention to the prevention and control of diseases and insect pests. Young trees produce shoots multiple times a year, and their tissues are tender, making them susceptible to damage from leaf-eating pests such as swallowtail butterflies, scarab beetles, weevils, leaf miners, and anthracnose. Observation and inspection should be strengthened, and timely prevention and control should be carried out.

Water Management

1. Drainage in spring and early summer: In low-lying orchards, if water accumulates and the root system is kept in an oxygen-deficient respiration state for a long time, many harmful substances are produced under anaerobic soil conditions, which can easily cause root rot and induce foot rot. Drainage ditches should be cleared in a timely manner to prevent water accumulation. At the same time, attention should be paid to directing water into ponds and pools to store water for drought resistance.

2. Irrigation in midsummer and autumn and winter: In dry seasons with little rain, on the basis of agricultural techniques for water conservation and drought resistance, orchard irrigation should be carried out in a timely manner to promote fruit enlargement and sales and prevent fruit cracking. Each irrigation must be thorough. If the amount of irrigation water is too small, it will not play its proper role and will instead increase management costs. For adult fruiting trees, the irrigation amount per tree each time should be no less than 100 kg, once every 10-15 days. Within 15-20 days before fruit harvest, except when particularly dry conditions require appropriate irrigation, irrigation is strictly prohibited to prevent reducing fruit quality and storage performance. Irrigation in midsummer and autumn can be carried out together with the application of decomposed organic liquid fertilizer.

The cultivation techniques of navel orange are also relatively complex and need to be treated with care, and later management is also very important, directly related to the yield during the fruiting period. After reading the above article, do you have a further understanding of navel orange cultivation? I hope everyone can grow navel oranges with high yield and sweet taste.