Performance of acid lime varieties on rough lemon under Hasta bahar season in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of nine acid lime varieties budded on Rough lemon in high clay soil during the hasta bahar season. The varieties were planted in 2015 at 6 x 3 m on raised bed at the ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute in Nagpur, Maharashtra, and assessed for growth, yield, quality, pest incidence, and citrus canker infection from 2019 to 2023. Significant variations were observed in growth characteristics, with PKM-1 showing the highest canopy volume (36.44 m3) and yield per plant (21.11 kg/plant and 11.72 t/ha), followed by NRCC-8 (10.22 t/ha). PKM-1 also recorded the highest fruit quality traits, such as fruit weight (64.15 g), and total soluble solids (7.76 ⁰Brix). While pests and disease incidence varied across varieties, PKM-1 (8.13) and NRCC-7 (8.59) demonstrated better resistance to citrus canker. However, no variety exhibited complete tolerance to pests or diseases. The results suggest that rootstock Rough lemon plays a crucial role in improving growth and yield, particularly in high-clay soils. Based on the findings PKM-1, NRCC-7, and NRCC-8 are recommended for optimal productivity in the Vidarbha region.