What to do about the second physiological fruit drop in citrus? The latest countermeasures

During the growth process of citrus, there are generally two physiological fruit drop periods each year, and this is also the main reason for the reduction in normal citrus yields. The second physiological fruit drop occurs in May-June, which is also the period of summer shoot sprouting and young fruit expansion. At this time, the fruit and the shoots compete for nutrients, causing poor fruit growth and normal fruit drop. So what should be done about the second physiological fruit drop in citrus? Let's take a look at the detailed introduction below.

1. Control new shoots

During the period when summer shoots sprout, in order to avoid summer shoot germination and fruit expansion competing for nutrients, the growth of summer shoots must be suppressed. For trees with relatively vigorous growth, the method of ring cutting to control shoots can be used, but for trees with relatively weak growth, ring cutting to control shoots is not suitable. Orchards with scale irrigation can use the method of manually removing summer shoots; for larger orchards, manual removal is time-consuming and labor-intensive, so chemical shoot control is recommended. Spraying shoot-control agents before summer shoots sprout can reduce the amount of summer shoot germination.

2. Strengthen nutrition management

During the young fruit expansion period, both the young fruit and summer shoots require large amounts of nutrients for growth, and the main cause of the second physiological fruit drop is uneven nutrition. Therefore, if the second physiological fruit drop is to be prevented and controlled, the best method is to fertilize to supplement nutrients for the plant. Fertilization should be carried out reasonably according to factors such as tree vigor, soil, climate, and tree age. The fertilization principle is to apply less nitrogen fertilizer and more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. This is to avoid causing excessive summer shoot growth, so as not to worsen fruit drop. In addition, too much nitrogen fertilizer will affect the root system's absorption of other nutrients, while applying more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer can speed up nutrient transport, accelerate fruit expansion, and reduce fruit drop.

In addition to fruit drop caused by nutrition, pests and diseases are also one of the causes of fruit drop. In May-June, it is the period when citrus scale insects, whiteflies, and red spiders appear in concentrated numbers. They harm leaves and fruit, reducing the nutrients synthesized by leaves, so that the fruit does not have sufficient nutrients for growth, worsening fruit drop. Therefore, attention must be paid to the prevention and control of pests and diseases, with prevention as the main approach and comprehensive control. Spray pesticides during the flowering and fruiting period to nip pests and diseases in the bud.

The above is an introduction to what to do about the second physiological fruit drop in citrus. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please follow us.