Nutrient medium can be sterilized using a household-type microwave oven. The required microwave treatment time was influenced by the oven's microwave power intensity (70 to 700 W), vessel type, volume of medium employed, and the presence of energy sink water reservoirs (ESWR). Growth rates of strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.) shootlets, lemon [Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f.] fruit halves, or carrot (Daucus carota L.) callus cultured on either microwaved or autoclaved media were similar. Microwaving and autoclaving appeared to reduce GA3 activity compared with medium containing filter sterilized GA3. Chemical name used: gibberellic acid (GA3).
To test the usefulness of methanol treatments in enhancing yield and drought tolerance, we applied methanol with and without nutrients to a wide range of crops across California: lemon (Citrus limon L.), creeping bentgrass (Agrotis palustris Huds.), romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), carrot (Daucus carota L.), corn (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), pea (Pisum sativum L.), and radish (Raphanus sativus L.). Environments included greenhouse and field tests in coastal, inland-valley, and desert locations. Methanol did not increase the yield or growth of any crop. In some cases, methanol caused significant injury and decreased yield.
Abstract
Yields and quality were compared on young bearing ‘Bearss’ lemon (Citrus limon L.) trees grown with 3 rates of N and K and 2 levels of soil moisture over a 4-year period. Increased rates of N application increased fruit production, incidence of fruit with scab, and green fruit; and decreased acid content of juice. Potassium applications increased the acid content of juice. Irrigation increased fruit size and decreased the number of green fruit after curing. A leaf N content of 2.2 to 2.6% is suggested for optimum fruit production for ‘Bearss’ lemon under Florida conditions.
Abstract
Curing of sealed lemons of normal and decay-prone types [Citrus limon (L.) Burm.f] and of sealed Goliath pomelo [Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck] inhibited postharvest decay without deleterious effects on fruit quality and prevented the development of Penicillium digitatum on inoculated fruit. Curing of nonsealed fruit was less effective in reducing decay than curing sealed fruit and caused prohibitive weight loss, shrinkage, and softening. Curing of sealed and waxed ‘Shamouti’ and ‘Valencia’ oranges (C. sinensis), in comparison to only sealed fruit, resulted in some CO2 injury of the peel and off-flavor.
Two lemon [Citrus limon (L.) Burm.] cultivar selection trials are being conducted at the Yuma Mesa Agriculture Center in Somerton, Ariz. Some selections in these trials include: `Allen Eureka', `Berna', `Cook Eureka', `Cascade Eureka', `Cavers Lisbon', `Strong Lisbon', `Femminello Comune', `Lapithkiotiki', `Limoneira 8A Lisbon', `Limonero Fino 49', `Monroe Lisbon', `Primofiori', `Santa Teresa', `Walker Lisbon', and `Villafranca'. Selections that have had superior yields include `Cascade Eureka', `Cook Eureka', `Strong Lisbon', `Limoneira 8A Lisbon', `Limonero Fino 49', `Primofiori', `Femminello Comune', and `Villafranca'. Fruit size data suggest that `Limonero Fino 49' has consistently good fruit size, and consistently larger fruit than `Limoneira 8A', the industry standard. `Cavers Lisbon' and `Femminello Comune' also have good fruit size. `Lapithkiotiki' also had large fruit size, but its shape was unacceptably elongated. We also found significant differences in peel thickness and juice pH among the selections. `Santa Teresa' had significantly lower juice pH and a thinner peel than some of the other selections under evaluation.
Previous research in our laboratory provided evidence that hydrogen cyanamide (HC) applied to grapevines (Vitis vinifera) to stimulate budbreak resulted in ethylene production, which, in addition to HC drift at application, caused abscission of leaves in neighboring `Eureka' lemon [Citrus limon (L.) Burm. F.] orchards. Foliar-applied hydrated lime [Ca(OH)2] at 140 kg per 2337 to 2807 L·ha-1 to commercial `Thompson Seedless', `Perlette', `Red Flame', or `Princess' vineyards 2–48 h after HC treatment reduced leaf abscission from 2-year-old'Eureka' lemon trees placed inside the vineyards, with no negative effects on budbreak or yield of any grape cultivar. Hydrated lime is an effective inexpensive tool that grape growers can use to protect neighboring lemon orchards.
A field study was conducted near Mesa, Ariz., in a mature lemon grove with reset `Lisbon' lemon trees (Citrus limon) on a Carrizo citrange rootstock to determine the effects of stump removal and preplant soil fumigation on reset tree growth and development. Treatments consisted of resets planted with or without tree stumps and in addition with or without preplant Vapam. Pretreatment soil samples average 2.1 propagals of Phytophthora per gram of soil; however, after Vapam treatments, Phytophthora was not detected in the treated plots. In subsequent soil sampling for 2 years, Phytophthora was detected in only one plot treated with Vapam. Tree growth and vigor was greatest for resets that had stumps removed and preplant Vapam followed by resets with stumps present and preplant Vapam based on visual ratings and trunk diameter measurements. In addition, resets without stumps were more vigorous than resets where stumps were present.
`Eureka' lemons [Citrus limon (L.) Burro. f.] treated for commercial storage were held for 6 months at 13C. One-half of the fruits were individually sealed in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic film and half not sealed. The HDPE-seaIed lemons showed little change in the water relations characteristics, while unsealed lemons lost weight and decreased in water potential throughout the storage period. The maturity indices in the two treatments were generally similar during the first 3 months of storage, after which maturation of wrapped fruit was slower than that of the control. The overall marketable quality of the fruit was higher in HDPE-sealed lemons than in unsealed. From these results, it appears feasible to introduce seal packaging in packing lines where lemons will be placed in extended storage.
Several intermittent 13C warming treatments were applied to `Primofiori' lemons (Citrus limon Burn) stored at 2 or SC. Fruit stored at 13C were treated with 10%, 2090, or 30% CO2 for 24 hours at weekly intervals. Reduction in decay and physiological disorders was best with two cycles of 2 weeks at 2C and 2 weeks at 13C and relative humidity >95 %. Under this storage condition, soluble solids concentration, pH, titratable acidity, and reducing sugars did not change relative to values at harvest, but the concentration of ascorbic acid increased and that of nonreducing sugars decreased in relation to harvest values. Carbon dioxide treatments did not prevent the development of alternaria (Alternaria citri Ell. & Pierce) rot and red blotch disorder, but effectively prevented the development of membranosis, rind pitting, and oleocellosis.
Tree growth, yield, and fruit quality of eight lemon cultivars [Citrus limon (L.) Burro. f.] on macrophylla (Alemow) (C. macrophylla Wester) rootstock were compared when grown in sandy soil in the arid climate of south-western Arizona. `Foothill Lisbon' had higher cumulative yield and titratable acids than `Monroe Lisbon', `Prior Lisbon', `Eureka', and `Villafranca', and had larger fruit than other `Lisbon' cultivars. `Prior Lisbon' produced a larger tree canopy with lower yield efficiency than all other cultivars and did not show any decline due to sieve tube necrosis 12 years after planting. Overall, `Eureka' cultivars and `Villafranca' had lower relative cumulative yields, canopy volumes, total soluble solids content, titratable acids, and seed content, but higher tree decline than `Lisbon' cultivars. Overall, `Foothill Lisbon', in spite of carrying exocortis viroid, produced good yields and fruit quality and `Prior Lisbon' had a satisfactory growth-performance.