Latest Causes of Citrus Fruit Cracking and Prevention and Control Techniques Tutorial

China is a major citrus-growing country, and whenever citrus ripens for harvest, fruit cracking is extremely likely to occur, with the cracking rate reaching over 40% in severe cases, seriously affecting the economic returns of fruit growers. So what causes citrus fruit cracking? How should it be prevented and controlled? Let's take a look at the detailed introduction below.

1. Variety reasons

The fruit cracking rate varies greatly among citrus varieties, and it is closely related to how tightly the peel wraps the fruit, the thickness of the peel, and the fruit shape. Generally, varieties whose peel wraps tightly, whose peel is thicker, and whose fruit shape is oblong are not prone to cracking; conversely, varieties whose peel wraps loosely, whose peel is thinner, and whose fruit shape is flat and elongated are prone to cracking, and the flatter the fruit shape, the more prone to cracking. Therefore, when planting, be sure to choose varieties with a low cracking rate to cultivate and plant, reducing the cracking rate and increasing returns.

2. Climate influence

Fruit cracking is also a gradual process: at first the outer layer of the peel cracks, then the cells gradually deform and rupture from the outside inward, and finally the peel breaks. It generally occurs during the fruit's expansion stage and ripening stage; if the climate at this time features a long drought followed by rain, it will cause the flesh to grow faster than the peel during expansion, directly bursting the peel. In addition, the fruit is affected by water content during its growth and development; in high-temperature and dry climate, the peel's cellular tissue stops growing, and once heavy rain or heavy irrigation occurs, it will cause turgor pressure in the flesh tissue and lead to fruit cracking. Therefore, pay attention to climate changes: during drought, water frequently to keep the soil moist, so as to avoid fruit cracking caused by long drought followed by rain; and under climate conditions with abundant rain, do a good job of drainage to avoid fruit cracking caused by excessive water uptake by the fruit.

3. Nutrient deficiency

During the early development of the fruit, due to insufficient nutrients, the peel's cell division is affected, which causes the peel to continuously expand and become thinner when the fruit expands, making it highly prone to cracking. If planting lacks nutrients such as calcium and boron, the toughness of the peel will be reduced, so that the fruit cannot withstand the turgor pressure during expansion and thus cracks. In addition, during fruit expansion, applying excessive nitrogen fertilizer will cause the fruit to absorb too much fertilizer and water in a short time, causing the flesh to expand rapidly and resulting in a large amount of fruit cracking.

4. Pests and diseases

There are many pests and diseases of citrus, and the diseases that can cause fruit cracking include sunscald, canker, stink bugs, mites, etc., which will aggravate the fruit cracking phenomenon when they occur. Therefore, attention must be paid to the prevention and control of pests and diseases: apply more organic fertilizer to enhance the plant's disease resistance, and when pests and diseases are found, control them promptly to avoid worsening of the condition.

The above is an introduction to the causes of citrus fruit cracking and prevention and control techniques. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.