A remarkable and highly significant increase in export quality fruit due to decreased rind defects
Crop/cultivar |
Citrus / Orange, Shamuti |
---|---|
Country / location | Israel / central part, Kibbutz Ramat Hakovesh |
Objectives | Decrease fruit rind post-harvest defects (“nuxan”) |
Haifa product tested | Haifa Bonus 13-2-44 |
Application method | Foliar nutrition |
Tested treatment | 1 x foliar spray @ 9% & 4,000 lit./ha |
Control treatment results | Export quality after 14 d. non refrigerated storage: 76% Export quality after 14 d. 6ºC storage: 92% Export quality after 28 d. 6ºC storage: 87% TSS/Acid = 10.3 Juice content=45.9 NPK leaf content: NO3 – 300ppm; P – 380ppm; 1.17% K Grower’s revenue from yield: 432 US$/MT |
Best treatment results | Export quality after 14 d. non refrigerated storage: 96% Export quality after 14 d. 6ºC storage: 98% Export quality after 28 d. 6ºC storage: 93% TSS/Acid = 10.1 Juice content=48.6 NPK leaf content: NO3 – 630ppm; P – 490ppm; 1.62% K Grower’s revenue from yield: 946 US$/MT |
Characteristics of best treatment |
A remarkable and highly significant increase in export quality fruit due to decreased rind defects. An antagonistic effect on fruit internal quality: slightly reduced TSS/acid ratio, and increased juice content. |
Benefit/Cost ratio | 34 |
Conclusions | One foliar application of Multi-K suspension resulted in a remarkable increase in exportable fruit ratio and grower’s income. The positive effect is related to higher K content in the fruit rind. |
Reference | M. Tamim (Ministry of Agriculture) |