Main Article Content
Keywords
Array
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate biostimulants and cultural practices for floral induction in Persian lime (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) to obtain production in the Winter season, which when it is offered with the highest price in the market.
Design/methodology/approach: During the period from July to September, biostimulants and cultural practices were applied to six-year-old trees as treatments as follows: 1. Pruning only, 2. Pruning + urea, 3. Pruning + urea + ringing, 4. Pruning + biofol® + ringing. Additionally, in September, two treatments more were included: 5. Pruning + calcium prohexadione, and 6. Pruning + Citomax®. The design used was randomized blocks with four repetitions. The experimental unit was a lime tree. Flowering, yield, physical-chemical quality and cost-benefit ratio were evaluated.
Results: The outstanding effect of pruning and the effect of nitrogen were confirmed with the foliar application of granulated urea (6.0 Kg ha-1) during the period from July to September, obtaining an average yield of 23 t ha-1 during harvest from December to March, with a B/C 2.5 ratio. The quality of the fruit was kept within the NMX-FF-077-1996 Mexican standard. Pruning + Citomax® (cytokinins) applied in September showed a yield of 30 t ha-1, with a B/C 3.1 ratio.
Findings/conclusions: Pruning + nitrogen, and pruning + cytokinins are suggested to induce flowering and produce Persian lime with the best winter yields.