A Complete Analysis of the Key Points of High-Yield Citrus Cultivation Techniques

Citrus is sweet with a hint of sourness and rich in nutrients, making it one of the common fruits. It is planted in most parts of our country. Below, the editor will introduce high-yield citrus cultivation techniques.

1. Site selection

For a citrus orchard site, choose a location without obvious frost damage, requiring deep soil, good drainage and aeration, rich organic matter, convenient irrigation, and convenient transportation. In hilly and mountainous areas with an altitude below 800 m and a slope below 25°, areas with winter frost damage should choose southeast-facing slopes. Low-lying land with poor drainage and valleys where cold air easily stagnates cannot be used for orchard establishment. When establishing an orchard on gentle slopes below 5°, along riverbanks, and in paddy fields, attention must be paid to drainage.

2. Planting season

Citrus is generally planted in spring from late February to mid-March before the spring shoots sprout. In areas without winter frost damage, it can be planted in autumn from October to mid-November; planting from April to May in spring and summer after the spring shoots stop growing and before the summer shoots emerge also gives a high survival rate; container-grown seedlings can be planted in all four seasons.

3. Planting spacing

The most common spacing for citrus cultivation is 4X6 m, but there is currently a tendency to use different planting methods to make citrus densely planted in later stages, so spacings of 4X3 m and even 4X1.5 m are also often used. The planting density is usually 410 plants per hectare, and under dense planting conditions there can also be 800 or even 1600 plants per hectare. Dig planting holes at a specification of 1×1 m. Apply base fertilizers such as weeds, garbage fertilizer, decomposed organic fertilizer, and superphosphate into the holes. It can be planted in spring or autumn.

4. Fertilizer and water

Citrus needs irrigation during dry months, so when winter is dry and the temperature is above 13 degrees Celsius, irrigation must be carried out. In addition, dehydration is dangerous, as it causes water in the fruit to flow to the leaves and causes the fruit to shrivel. In the past, irrigation mainly used furrow irrigation or sprinkler irrigation above the canopy, but sprinkler irrigation carries the risk of salinization, and furrow irrigation can cause a decline in soil aeration. Nowadays there is a tendency to use drip irrigation and micro-sprinkler irrigation under the canopy, irrigating in strips while keeping part of the soil surface dry.

For young trees that were planted and survived in the previous autumn, apply a shoot-promoting fertilizer once before the spring shoots sprout, mainly by foliar spraying and supplemented by soil application, with nitrogen fertilizer as the main nutrient and an appropriate combination of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, to promote root growth and allow the young trees to produce more new shoots. For mature trees, from late January to mid-February, apply 0.2 kg of urea and 0.2-0.3 kg of compound fertilizer per plant. Apply fertilizer once before flowering, mainly nitrogen with an appropriate combination of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. At full bloom, spray boron fertilizer, adding 0.3% urea solution for foliar spraying.

5. Training and pruning

Based on the growth characteristics of the tree and the purpose of cultivation, combined with natural conditions and the level of management technology, this is a technical measure that adjusts fruit trees into a relatively stable tree shape and growth and development space through certain surgical methods and other means. The purpose of citrus training and pruning is “early fruiting, more fruiting, good fruit, and long-term fruiting.” The aim is to cultivate a natural open-center canopy.

6. Flower and fruit protection

From flowering to the flower-falling stage, promptly shake off the opened petals to prevent the petals from rotting in rainy weather and sticking to the young fruit, which helps the young fruit turn green, improves the fruit-setting rate, and can also reduce the occurrence of gray mold. If disaster weather such as “dry hot wind” or “late spring cold” is encountered at full bloom or the flower-falling stage, plant growth regulators should be used to protect flowers and fruits.

In addition, there are many types of pests and diseases during the flowering and young fruit stages, so pest and disease prevention and control work must be done well. Pests and diseases include anthracnose, scab, canker, flower bud midge, psyllid, leaf miner, aphid, red spider mite, thrips, etc., and can be controlled by spraying lime sulfur mixture or insecticides such as chlorpyrifos and thiamethoxam.