Where are the latest mandarin orange production areas? A complete overview of the main production regions
The place of origin of the mandarin orange is China. Cultivation of mandarin oranges in our country has a history of more than 4000 years, mainly produced in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and areas south of the Yangtze River. A cultivation history of several thousand years certainly cannot pin down a specific location. Spread across the Eurasian continent by Arabs, the mandarin orange is still called the “Chinese apple” in the Netherlands and Germany to this day. Now let us take a look together at where the mandarin orange production areas are!
Where are the mandarin orange production areas?
In our country, mandarin oranges are distributed between 16 and 37° north latitude, at elevations up to 2600 m (Batang, Sichuan), from Sanya City in Hainan Province in the south, to Shaanxi, Gansu and Henan in the north, from Taiwan Province in the east, to the Yarlung Zangbo River valley in Tibet in the west. However, the economic cultivation areas for citrus in our country are mainly concentrated between 20 and 33° north latitude, at elevations below 700 to 1000 m. Nationwide, citrus production, including Taiwan Province, covers 19 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions), among which the 10 provinces (municipalities and districts) that are main citrus producers are Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan, Sichuan, Guangxi, Hubei, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Chongqing and Taiwan, followed by Shanghai, Guizhou, Yunnan and Jiangsu, and there is also planting in Shaanxi, Henan, Hainan, Anhui and Gansu. Nationwide there are 985 counties (cities and districts) that grow citrus.
World distribution of mandarin oranges
In the world, mandarin oranges are mainly distributed in regions south of 35° north latitude. They like warmth and humidity, and in areas with large water bodies that raise temperatures, cultivation can extend northward to 45° north latitude. In the world, 135 countries produce citrus, with an annual output of 102.822 million tons and an area of 10.73 million mu, both ranking first among the hundred fruits. The first in output is Brazil, with 24.2526 million tons, the second is the United States, with 16.3352 million tons, China is third, with 10.78 million tons, followed by Mexico, Spain, Iran, India, Italy and other countries.
Production environment of mandarin oranges
1. Temperature: The growth and development of mandarin orange fruit requires a temperature of 12.5 to 37°C. Flower bud differentiation in autumn requires day and night temperatures of about 20°C and about 10°C respectively. The soil temperature for root growth is roughly the same as that of the aboveground part. High temperatures are also unfavorable to the growth and development of citrus. When the air temperature and soil temperature are higher than 37°C, the fruit and root system stop growing.
2. Light: The mandarin orange is a tree species with relatively strong shade tolerance, but good sunshine is still needed for high quality and high yield. Generally, areas with an annual sunshine duration of 1200 to 2200 hours can grow normally. For example, compared with the Chongqing citrus production area, which has little sunshine, South China, which has good sunshine and abundant heat, produces fruit with higher sugar content, lower acid content and a higher sugar-acid ratio.
3. Humidity: Mandarin oranges are suitable for planting in tropical and subtropical regions with an annual rainfall of about 1000 mm. The relative water content of the soil is suitable at 60 to 80%; below 60%, irrigation is needed. Excessive rain causes soil waterlogging or a high groundwater level, and in citrus orchards with poor drainage it can cause the root system to die.
4. Soil: The mandarin orange has a relatively wide range of adaptability to soil. It can grow in purple soil, red-yellow soil, sandy beaches and seashore mud flats with a pH value of 4.5 to 8, and a pH value of 5.5 to 6.5 is most suitable. Root growth requires a relatively high oxygen content, and soil that is loose in texture, well structured, with an organic matter content of 2 to 3%, and well drained is most suitable.