Influence of Soil Parent Material on Yield and Quality of Nagpur Mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) in Jhalawar District of Rajasthan

摘要

Fourteen orchards from Jhalawar district of Rajasthan were evaluated for productivity and fruit-quality of Nagpur mandarin in relation to physiography, parent material and soil characteristics. Significant variations were observed in all the physico-chemical characteristics of fruits collected from the soils developed on different parent materials (sandstone and shale vs. basalt). Fruits were bigger in size, higher in total soluble solids, TSS: acidity ratio, juice pH, and reducing and non-reducing sugars in orchards derived from sandstone and shale parent material while these were thinner in skin (peel) having higher juice content (44.1%) and total sugars in orchards on soils developed on basalt parent material. However, nature of parent material did not create any marked differences in juice acidity and vitamin-C (ascorbic acid) content. Number of fruits per plant and fruit yield (57.7 t ha~(-1)) were highest in the orchards of basaltic parent material, while fruit yield was 46.8 t ha~(-1) in orchards developed on sandstone and shale with band of limestone.