Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Eliezer E. Goldschmidt
The Kennedy-Leigh Center for
Horticultural Research
Faculty of Agriculture, Rehovot
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
CAMBRIDGE
UNIVERSITY PRESS
Published by the Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge
The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 IRP
40 West 20th Street, New York, NY IOOI 1-4211, USA
10 Stamford Road, Oakleigh, Melbourne 3166, Australia
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
RO
Contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgements x
Introduction i
Index 221
Preface
[ix]
Acknowledgements
The completion of this book has been delayed by the death of the original
co-author Prof. S. P. Monselise. Meanwhile the support of the editorial
staff at Cambridge University Press has been unwavering. The authors
thank Dr Aliza Vardi, Prof. Y. Shalhevet, Dr Y. Erner, Prof. D. Zohary,
Prof. M. Bar-Yoseph, Dr Z. Solel, Dr D. Orion and Dr A. Shaked for
reviewing and providing most helpful comments on various chapters of
the book
Special thanks to Prof. M. L. Roose, University of California, River-
side, for valued assistance with illustrations for the chapter on Citrus and
its relatives.
We would like to acknowledge the clerical skills and hard work of Mrs
R. Gothard and Mrs N. Ben Yehezkel who were responsible for the typing
of the manuscript, to Mrs L. Rosentul and Mrs N. Gestetner for
illustrations (artwork). We would like also to thank Mr O. Tevel and Mrs
Z. Sadovsky for photography of plant material.
w
Introduction
History of citrus
T H E TERM CITRUS originated from the Latin form of 'Kedros\ a
Greek word denoting trees like cedar, pine and cypress. As the smell of
citrus leaves and fruit was reminiscent of that of cedar, the name citrus has
been applied to the citron. Linnaeus grouped all citrus species known to
him in the genus Citrus. In Greek mythology citrus fruits are called
hesperides.
The suggested origin of the true citrus fruits is South East Asia,
including South China, north-eastern India and Burma. Evidence from
wild citrus in the area is still unclear. In many cases, seed has been spread
large distances from the sites of origin and culture by birds, water streams
and human activity. Tolkowsky (1938) considers the centre of origin to be
the mountainous parts of southern China and north-eastern India, where
sheltered valleys and southern slopes are protected from cold and dry
winds yet are exposed to the warm rains of the summer monsoon. The
deciduous Poncirus trifoliata grows wild in central and northern China.
While according to certain authors (Tanaka, 1954; Jackson, 1991)
citrus fruits may have originated in north-eastern India and Burma, the
introduction of citrus into cultivation and the probable origin of several
species started in China. Table 2.2 gives the principal species of Citrus and
their probable native habitat, according to Cooper and Chapot (1977).
Lemon and grapefruit are not considered true species.
Domestication could have started independently in several locations in
the area mentioned above or even in a broader area. There are indications
of early cultivation of citron in India, and of mandarins and possibly other
citrus fruit in China. The wide diversity of citrus in Yunnan has recently
been described (Gmitter and Hu, 1990). Rivers arising in or traversing
Yunnan could have served as dispersal mechanisms to the south.
Ancient dynasties of China regarded citrus as highly valued tributes
[4]
HISTORY OF CITRUS
¥%Mm
(air layering) and culture of pummelo adapted in the flooded delta regions
of China.
The sweet orange probably originated as a natural hybrid between the
two species, pummelo and mandarin, grown in China in mixed village
gardens. Human activity and interference of habitats confounded evi-
dence that sweet oranges originated in the tropical rain forests of Upper
Burma and Assam (Hooker, 1897; Tanaka, 1954). Probably, orange
culture migrated from Yunnan to Upper Burma and eventually to Assam
(Cooper, 1989). Sweet orange seed, which is apomictic, may have become
naturalized later in the tropical rainforest region. It is postulated that
sweet orange migrated from south-west China to Upper Burma rather
than by the reverse path (Cooper, 1989).
The citron (C. medica), which is probably native to India, was not
mentioned in Chinese writings until the fourth century AD. The citron was
the first citrus with which the Europeans got acquainted and was perhaps
for many years the only one known. The establishment of the citron in
Media (Persia) appears to have occurred not later than the first half of the
first millennium BC. It is assumed that it was first introduced by Alex-
ander the Great to the Near East and Greece and it has been described by
Theophrastus and called Persian (Median) apple. Evidence that citron
was established at an earlier period in Egypt and Mesopotamia is rather
inconclusive (Tolkowsky, 1938). Citron was appreciated for its medicinal
properties, as an ornamental, for its fragrance and as an antidote to
poison. It played a prominent part in Jewish religious rituals, appeared on
Jewish coins during 66—70 AD, and has been a favorite motif in Jewish art
since then (Figure 1.2). Caesarea was one of the main centres of citron
culture. It was widely grown in Italy during the Roman period, probably
as early as the first century AD.
A sculpture dating from the classic Hellenistic period clearly depicts
lemon fruit, as well as the citron (Figure 1.3). The lemon, in addition to
the citron, was known to the Romans, as evidenced by several mosaics and
frescoes from the Roman era, including a mosaic from Tusculum dated
100 AD (Calabrese, 1990).
The Arabs were also well acquainted with the sour orange, and they
have been instrumental in expanding citriculture to many areas. Expan-
sion of sour orange culture occurred not later than the tenth century AD.
Albertus Magnus (1193— 1280) described the sour orange, calling it
Arangus. By about 1150 AD citron, sour orange, lemon and pummelo had
been introduced by the Arabs into Spain and northern Africa.
There is no written evidence of the actual culture of sweet orange in
Europe before the fifteenth century AD. There are certain signs of earlier
culture of the sweet orange (Tolkowsky, 1938). Citron, lemons and orange
HISTORY AND GROWING OF CITRUS
;
—, production none or very limited.
2
Data for 1991/2.
3
California Valencia orange production is included in the Southern
Hemisphere total.
From FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), Citrus
Fruit Annual Statistics
molasses for animal feed. Several flavonoid compounds are used by the
food and pharmaceutical industries.
The utilization of citrus as ornamental plants often preceded its cultiva-
tion for fruit production (Continella et al., 1994). The value of citrus as an
CLIMATIC LIMITS
Recommended reading
Cooper, W. C. and Chapot, H. (1977). Fruit production - with special
emphasis on fruit for processing. In Citrus Science and Technology, ed. S.
Nagy, P. E. Shaw and M. K. Veldhuis, Vol. 2, pp. 1-127. Westport,
CT: The Avi Publishing Co.
Gallesio, G. (1811). Traite du Citrus. Paris: Louis Fantin. 381 pp.
Hume, H. H. (1941). The Cultivation of Citrus Fruits. New York:
Macmillan. 561 pp.
Tolkowsky, S. (1938). Hesperides. A History of the Culture and Use of Citrus
Fruits. London: John Bale, Sons and Curnow. 371 pp.
Webber, H. J. (1967). History and development of the citrus industry. In
The Citrus Industry, Vol. 1 ed. I. W. Reuther, H. J. Webber and L. D.
Batchelor, pp. 1—39. Berkeley: Division of Agricultural Sciences,
University of California.
Literature cited
Calabrese, F. (1990). The fabulous story of citrus fruit. Agricoltura, 208:
82-128. (In Italian.)
Calabrese, F. (1994). The history of Citrus in the Mediterranean
Countries and Europe. In Proc. Int. Soc. Citriculture 1992, ed.
E. Tribulato, A. Gentile & G. Reforgiato, pp. 35-8. Catania, Italy:
MCS Congress.
Continella, G., La Malla, G. and Romano, D. (1994). The utilization of
citrus as ornamental plants in Italy. In Proc. Int. Soc. Citriculture 1992,
ed. E. Tribulato, A. Gentile & G. Reforgiato, pp. 232-4. Catania,
Italy: MCS Congress.
Cooper, W. C. (1989). Odyssey of the Orange in China. Natural History of the
Citrus Fruits in China. Published by the author, 443 Lakewood Drive,
Winter Park, Florida. 122 pp.
Cooper, W. C. and Chapot, H. (1977). Fruit production - with special
emphasis on fruit for processing. In Citrus Science and Technology, ed. S.
Nagy, P. E. Shaw and M. K. Veldhuis, Vol. 2, pp. 1-127. Westport
CT: The Avi Publishing Co.
FAO Commodities and Trade Division (1993). Citrus Fruit, Fresh and
l8 HISTORY AND GROWING OF CITRUS
Citrus relatives
An increase in interest in the Aurantioideae has been shown in the quest
for wild members of the subfamily as a source of novel genetic variation
and as a possible source of rootstocks, as well as for traits for pest and
disease resistance. A recent review on progress made in the taxonomic
research on the Aurantioideae of South East Asia (where about two thirds
of the species occur naturally) has been presented by Jones (1989). All the
2O CITRUS AND ITS RELATIVES
Clauseninae Glycosmis1 35
Clausena1 23
Murray ax 11
Merrillinae Merrillia1 1
Balsamocitrinae Swinglea 1
1
Aegle 1
Afraegle 4
Aeglopsis 2
Balsamocitrus 1
Feronia 1
Feroniella1 3
2 Tribes 6 Subtribes 33 Genera 203
1
Genera occurring naturally in South East Asia
(according to Jones, 1989).
After Swingle and Reece (1967).
CITRUS RELATIVES 21
It has been claimed that remote ancestors of cultivated citrus trees may
have been very similar to some of the Triphasiinae.
The subtribe Citrinae, with 13 genera, differs from other members of
Aurantioideae by having pulp vesicles, structures arising from the dorsal
wall of the locule, growing into the locular cavity and developing into sacs
filled with large, thin-walled cells with watery juice. No such structures
have been found in other plants of Rutaceae or related families. No close
homologies are known in any of the higher plants. Other genera of
Aurantioideae have secretory glands on locule walls, giving rise to
mucilaginous gum filling the locular cavity of the fruit. Lack of pulp
vesicles characterizes the subtribe Triphasiinae.
The 13 genera of the subtribe Citrinae (Table 2.1) have been classified
into three groups (Swingle and Reece, 1967). Group A, also called
'primitive citrus fruit trees', comprises five genera. They possess primitive
forms of pulp vesicles, which is of great interest in the study of their origin
and evolution. Burkillanthus has an ovary with 22—26 ovules in each of the
five locules. Severinia, with six species having stalkless, peripheral pulp
vesicles, has been studied more extensively as a possible source for
rootstock. Citrus plants grafted on Severinia buxifolia (Figure 2.1) and
Severinia disticha have shown remarkable tolerance to excess boron in sand
cultures. Some Citrus plants grafted on Severinia buxifolia have survived for
30 years. This monoembryonic species has also shown cold tolerance,
resistance to the citrus nematode Tylenchulus semipenetrans and to Phy-
tophthora rot. It is, however, intolerant to the tristeza virus. The possibility
of raising Citrus on a plant taxonomically very remote has stimulated
interest in testing further relatives of Citrus for rootstocks and in hybridiza-
tion.
Citrus has been also grafted on Hesperethusa crenulata (Bitters et al.,
1969). Recently, somatic hybrids have been developed by protoplast
fusion of citrus and several distant genera (see Chapter 6, on genetic
improvement in citrus; Table 6.3).
Group B, 'near Citrus fruit trees', includes two genera only, Citropsis
and Atalantia, which show well-developed pulp vesicles with broad sessile
bases and conical sides tapering to the acute apex. Pulp vesicles are
arranged radially with the bases at the periphery of the locules attached to
the dorsal wall of the locules and inbedded in the inner layer of the rind.
The conical pulp vesicles point toward the center of the fruit (unless
deflected by the seeds). Citropsis is native to Africa, with 10 out of 11
species having pinnate or trifoliolate leaves (Figure 2.2). Atalantia, also
with 11 species, is native to South East Asia. Leaves are unifoliolate or
simple, resembling those of Citrus. Atalantia is a potential source of
resistance to the citrus nematode (Tylenchulus semipenetrans) and Citropsis to
CITRUS RELATIVES
vesicles growing out from the dorsal locule walls, filling the locules.
Atalantia ceylanica, however, shows very few pulp vesicles, as the very large
seeds almost completely fill the locuies. Two other species classified as
Atalantia, A. hainanensis and A. guillaumini, are devoid of pulp vesicles
altogether.
The region accupied by the six genera extends from north-eastern India
and north-central China to east-central Australia and New Caledonia,
and from Java to the Philippines. Some are also found in southern Japan.
Citrus is native to the whole area, except in north-eastern Australia where
Microcitrus and Eremocitrus are native. In northern China Poncirus is native.
Fortunella occurs in south-eastern China along with Citrus; Clymenia occurs
in the Bismarck Archipelago along with some species of Citrus.
Clymenia (Figure 2.3) is considered the most primitive genus in the
group. It differs from Citrus in many important taxonomical characters. It
has a type of pulp vesicle not found in any other citrus fruit. The leaves are
also unlike those of other genera in the true citrus fruits, and the enlarged
disk bears 10—20 times as many stamens as petals. The ripe yellow fruit is
edible and it has even been mistaken for a sweet lime.
While Fortunella, and especially its subgenus Protocitrus, have been
considered as the most simple and primitive end of a side branch ending in
Citrus (Swingle and Reece, 1967), its classification as an independent
genus remains somewhat questionable. The mitochondrial genome of
Fortunella has been found to be indistinguishable from that of Citrus
(Yamamoto et al., 1993). Fortunella differs from Citrus mainly in having two
collateral ovules near the top of each locule (Citrus has 4-12). Though
definitely evergreen, it possesses a degree of winter dormancy, enabling
the tree to remain quiescent during weeks of warm weather without
initiating growth or starting to flower. Of genera other than Citrus, only
Fortunella has achieved commercial significance. This is because of its
most attractive and edible fruit, known as the kumquat. Fortunella mar-
garita and Fortunella japonica are quite widely cultivated in China, Japan
and some subtropical environments. Fruits have a relatively thick, fleshy
sweet and edible peel, and 4—7 segments filled with pleasant, mildly acid
pulp. Fortunella polyandra, which is native to tropical regions, and is
cultivated in the Malay Peninsula, has large globose fruits with a thin
peel. Fortunella hindsii, which has very small globose fruits, is still reported
wild in the mountains of Southern China. A hybrid of Fortunella, named
calamondin, is of considerable importance as an ornamental plant,
bearing showy citrus fruits (see Figure 2.4). Though accorded species
rank as C. madurensis Lour, and C. mitis Blanco, it is probably a hybrid
between a sour loose-skinned mandarin and the kumquat. Fruit of
calamondin is widely used in the Philippines as a condiment.
While Eremocitrus (Figure 2.5) has ovary and fruit characters somewhat
similar to Fortunella, it also has striking xerophytic adaptations, evident in
the character of its gray-green, small leaves, with a thick cuticle and
deeply sunken stomata. During a severe drought, leaves drop. The plants
have very stout spines. Flowers are smaller, though similar to those of
TRUE CITRUS FRUIT TREES
Microcitrus. The ovary has three to five locules, with two ovules in each
locule, as in Fortunella. Pulp vesicles in the fruit are less coherent than in
the common citrus fruits. Seeds are monoembryonic. It grows wild in New
South Wales and south-eastern Queensland, showing adaptation to cold,
drought, salt and excess boron. Eremocitrus glauca has been successfully
grafted with Citrus and the reciprocal graft is also possible.
three to five locules, and two ovules in each locule. It is possible that the
ancestral type from which both Microcitrus and Eremocitrus evolved was
similar to Microcitrus warburgiana, a species found in New Guinea. Pulp
masses in Microcitrus are filled with acid pulp and acrid oil. Evolution of
Microcitrus occurred in New Guinea and Australia, which have been cut off
from other land masses for 20-30 millions of years, and it is easier to follow
than that of Citrus, Fortunella and Poncirus, which did not originate in
regions that were geographically isolated during definitely dated geologi-
cal periods. Microcitrus seems resistant to Phytophthora and the burrowing
nematode, Radopholus similis. Eremocitrus (monotypic) and Microcitrus (six
species) have been recently reviewed by Sykes (1993).
Poncirus is highly cold tolerant; it has been reported to withstand
successfully even winter temperatures of—26 °C. It has penetrated far into
the temperate zone in north-eastern Asia. Leaves are trifoliolate and
deciduous (Figure 2.7). Winter buds are well protected by bud scales. The
protected flower buds form during early summer and bloom on old twigs
in the following spring. Flowering is earlier than, at the same time as, and
sometimes later than Citrus cultivars, depending upon winter and spring
temperatures. Oil-containing pulp vesicles carry hair-like organs bearing
at their tips thick-walled, fissured cells. Viscous fluid allows pulp vesicles
to slip past one another. Immature fruit contains a glucoside, ponciridin,
differing from hesperidin. Poncirus hybridizes readily with Citrus. Hybrids
with sweet orange have been hybridized with Eremocitrus. Many of the
hybrids with genera other than Citrus are sterile. Poncirus is widely used as
a rootstock; in fact it may well be the most ancient rootstock used in fruit
culture. It has been grown in China for thousands of years. In Japan, it
serves as the main rootstock. A rather dwarf form, named 'flying dragon',
has been recently experimented with as a rootstock, and has proven to be
of interest in producing dwarf citrus trees. Hybrids of Poncirus are most
prominent among new rootstocks bred for Citrus, carrying genes of
resistance (from Poncirus) to tristeza virus, Phytophthora, citrus nematode
and cold; in addition, as Poncirus is polyembryonic with predominantly
apomictic (nucellar) offspring, it is suitable for propagation by seed.
Affinity problems in grafting with Citrus have been noted with Fortunella,
Eremocitrus and Microcitrus, but generally not with Poncirus. It is also grown
as an ornamental in Asia and elsewhere, mainly in regions too cold for
outdoor growing of citrus.
All four genera (Poncirus, Eremocitrus, Fortunella and Microcitrus) seem
thus to possess valuable, though different adaptations to demanding
climatic and soil conditions. They are therefore of increasing interest,
mainly for the breeding of new types of rootstock, and possibly also for
novel fruit types (Sykes, 1993).
The genus Citrus is divided into two subgenera, Citrus and Papeda, which
can be distinguished by leaf, flower and fruit characteristics.
The common name for Citrus species included in the subgenus Papeda is
Papedas. None of the species belonging to Papeda have edible fruits, as the
TRUE CITRUS FRUIT TREES
Citrus species
Classification of the subgenus Citrus — 16 species according to Swingle
(1943) — is still very controversial. It is supposed to include the edible
species of Citrus (though C. tachibana has a bitter juice, and is nearly
inedible). Species of the subgenus Citrus are characterized by pulp vesicles
nearly free from oil droplets, and never containing acrid oil; the petioles
have narrow wings or are wingless and if broadly winged, subcordate and
less than three quarters of the width of leaf blades. The flowers are large
(2.5—4.5 cm diameter) and fragrant, with stamens clustering in bundles.
The list of species of Citrus, according to Swingle (1943) and Barrett and
Rhodes (1976), is given in Table 2.2. Only eight out of the ten species of
the subgenus Citrus were part of the Barrett and Rhodes study.
The genus Citrus, and especially the edible species and cultivars, has under-
gone a very long period of cultivation. It is very difficult to ascertain the centre
of origin of most citrus species as they have been subjected to natural
hybridization and probably also cultivation since ancient times. The classi-
fication of Citrus has proven particularly difficult due to several factors:
comparative ease ofhybridization, production ofadventive embryos (nucellar
polyembryony), obliteration of most of the original habitats, the presence of
numerous cultivars and hybrids, including spontaneous mutants, and, in
some cases, inadequate descriptions and specimens.
Moreover, our knowledge of the wild progenitors of Citrus is very
deficient. Contrary to the situation in many temperate fruit crops
(Rosaceous fruit trees, Vitis), where the wild relatives and progenitors
TRUE CITRUS FRUIT TREES 33
Table 2.2 List of species o/^Citrus 1 with conventional names, suggested origin2
and species concept3
;
According to Swingle (1943).
2
Based on Cooper and Chapot (1977).
3
Based on Barrett and Rhodes (1976).
4
Not investigated.
— — Close affinity
- Moderate affinity
C. aurantium Loose QffinHy
INN Intergroup affinity
I \
I C.sinensis C. parodist' — C.grandis
%%
/ « ''
C. reticulata X%
C. medica C. limon C. aurantifolia
Fortunella
X
Poncirus
Eremocitrus • Microcitrus
Figure 2.8 Affinity relationships between some Citrus species and
relatives, according to the Swingle classification (1943) and Barrett
and Rhodes (1976)
36 CITRUS AND ITS RELATIVES
Both sweet orange and sour orange (as well as the Temple cultivar) are
considered by Barrett and Rhodes (1976) to be of C. reticulata genotype
introgressed with genes from C. grandis, now called C. maxima (Burm.)
Merr. (Scora and Nicolson, 1986). Tatum et al. (1974) present chemical
evidence that sweet orange (C. sinensis) has characteristics of both C.
reticulata and C. maxima. Grapefruit (C. paradisi, now also classified as
C. maxima var. racemosa) is presumably a mutant from pummelo or rather a
hybrid of pummelo (C. maxima). The opinion that grapefruit might have
arisen as a hybrid of pummelo and sweet orange has been put forward by
Swingle (1943), Robinson (1952), Albach and Redman (1969), Barrett
and Rhodes (1976) and Scora et al. (1982). Hybrids resembling grapefruit
in most aspects have been obtained by Spiegel-Roy and Vardi (un-
published) by crossing pummelo and Temple cv. Grapefruit has never
been found native in Asia. A study of the Caribbean 'forbidden fruit',
known as 'Shaddette' in the West Indies, has been recently made (Bow-
man and Gmitter, 1990). While grapefruit may have been described by
Hughes in 1750 the name itself was mentioned first at a later date, 1818
(Bowman and Gmitter, 1990).
Species of Eucitrus described by Swingle and Reece (1967) include the
monoembryonic C. indica, which possesses the characters of a wild species
prevalent in Assam, though the possibility of it being a hybrid cannot be
excluded. C. tachibana, found in Southern Japan, Ryukyu Islands and
Taiwan (Tanaka, 1922), rather resembles C. reticulata. It does not bear
edible fruit, but it has been part of some of the oldest Japanese traditions.
Since Swingle's classification, numerous studies have been carried out,
employing various techniques in an attempt to help to shed light on
species relationships. These include poly phenol oxidase catalyzed brown-
ing of young shoots (Esen and Soost, 1978) and seed teguments (Gogor-
cena and Ortiz, 1988), branching in juice vesicles (Tisserat et al., 1988),
root peroxidase isoenzymes (Button et al., 1976), leaf isozymes (Soost and
Torres, 1982; Hirai et al., 1986), fraction I protein in leaves (Handa et al.,
1986), leaf and rind oils (Malik etal, 1974), essential leaf oils (Scora et al.,
1969), long chain hydrocarbon profiles (Nagy and Nordby, 1972), the
already mentioned flavonoids (Albach and Redman, 1969; Tatum et al.,
1974), limonoids in seeds (Rouseffand Nagy, 1982) and polymethoxy-
flavones (Mizuno et al., 1991). More recently, use of RFLPs (restriction
fragment length polymorphisms) has further contributed to our under-
standing and interpretation (Roose, 1988). RFLPs reflect the location at
which DNA is cleaved by restriction enzymes (Botstein et al., 1980).
C. medica has been found relatively monomorphic for RFLPs, while
C. reticulata and C. maxima have been shown to be quite polymorphic
(Roose, 1988). Also, other taxa have high (>5O%) heterozygosity for
TRUE CITRUS FRUIT TREES 37
warm soil. Aegle marmelos (Figure 2.9) yields the 'bael fruit' esteemed in
India. The twigs are dimorphic. The tree, which has deciduous leaves, has
some resistance to cold. Citrus has been grafted onto Feronia and onto
Feroniella.
Horticultural classification of
cultivated citrus
All commercially used scion and rootstock cultivars belong to the genus
Citrus, except kumquats, Fortunella spp., and trifoliate orange, Poncirus
trifoliata, which is used as a rootstock only.
Originally, citrus trees were grown as seedlings, and in some cases from
air layers, but today most cultivars are budded onto rootstocks (see
Chapters 5 and 6). Rootstocks affect yield and fruit quality as well as
tolerance to biotic (viruses, pests and diseases) and abiotic (cold, drought,
salt) stress. Choice of rootstock will also depend on compatibility with
particular scion cultivars.
Sweet oranges (Citrus sinensis) can be placed into four fairly distinctive
groups.
1 Navel oranges. This is the most important group for fresh fruit. Navel
oranges have the prominent distinctive feature ofa small, 'secondary'
fruit embedded in the apex of the main fruit. Worldwide expansion of
this type started after budwood was sent from Bahia, Brazil to the US
Department ofAgriculture in 1870. Since then numerous early- and
late-ripening mutants ofNavel have been discovered and propagated.
2 Common oranges (also known as 'blond' oranges). These include
Valencia, used for fresh fruit and processing, Shamouti, with its
typical form and flavour, and Pera, Hamlin and Pineapple, grown
mainly for processing.
40 CITRUS AND ITS RELATIVES
Recommended reading
Hodgson, R. W. (1967). Horticultural varieties of citrus. In The Citrus
Industry, Vol. 1, ed. W. Reuther, H. J. Webber and L. D. Batchelor,
pp. 431-591. Berkeley: Division of Agricultural Sciences, University of
California.
Saunt,J. (1990). Citrus Varieties of the World. Norwich, England: Sinclair
International. 126 pp.
Swingle, W. T. and Reece, P. C. (1967). The botany of Citrus and its wild
relatives. In The Citrus Industry, Vol. 1, ed. W. Reuther, H. J. Webber
44 CITRUS AND ITS RELATIVES
Literature cited
Albach, R. F. and Redman, G. H. (1969). Composition and inheritance
of flavanones in citrus fruit. Phytochemistry, 8: 127—43.
Barrett, H. C. (1978). Intergeneric hybridization of Citrus and other
genera in citrus variety improvement. Proc. Int. Soc. Citriculture 1977,
ed. W. Grierson, pp. 586-9. Lake Alfred, FL: ISC.
Barrett, H. C. (1990). US 119 an intergeneric hybrid citrus scion
breeding line. HortScience, 25: 1670—1.
Barrett, H. C. and Rhodes, A. M.'(i976). A numerical taxonomic study
of affinity relationships in cultivated Citrus and its close relations. Syst.
Bot., 1: 105-36.
Bitters, W. P., Cole, D. A. and Bruscan, A. (1969). The citrus relatives
as citrus rootstocks. Proc. First Int. Citrus Symp., ed. H. D. Chapman,
Vol. 1, pp. 411-15. Riverside: University of California.
Botstein, D., White, R. L., Skolnick, M. H. and Davis, R. W. (1980).
Construction of a genetic map in man using restriction fragment length
polymorphism. Am.J. Hum. Genet., 32: 314-31.
Bowman, K. D. and Gmitter, F. G. J r (1990). Caribbean forbidden fruit:
Grapefruit's missing link with the past and bridge to the future? Fruit
Var.J., 44:41-4-
Button, J., Vardi, A. and Spiegel-Roy, P. (1976). Root peroxidase
isoenzymes as an aid in Citrus breeding and taxonomy. Theor. Appl.
Genet., 47: 119-23.
Cooper, W. C. and Chapot, H. (1977). Fruit production — with special
emphasis on fruit for processing. In Citrus Science and Technology, Vol. 2,
ed. A. Nagy, P. E. Shaw and M. K. Veldhuis, pp. 1-24. Westport,
CT: Tel Avi Publ. Co.
Engler, A. (1896). Rutaceae. In Die naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien, ed. A.
Engler and K. Prantl, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 95-201. Leipzig: Engelmann.
Engler, A. (1931). Rutaceae. In A. Engler and K. Prantl. Die naturlichen
Pflanzenfamilien, 2nd edn., pp. 187-359. Leipzig: Engelmann.
Esen, A. and Soost, R. K. (1978). Separation of nucellar and zygotic
citrus seedlings by use of polyphenol oxidase-catalyzed browning. Proc.
Int. Soc. Citriculture 1977, ed. W. Grierson, Vol. 2, pp. 616-18. Orlando,
FL: ISC.
Gogorcena, Y. and Ortiz, J. M. (1988). Seed teguments as an aid in
citrus chemotaxonomy. J. Hort. Sci., 63: 687-94.
Green, R. M., Vardi, A. and Galun, E. (1986). The plastome of Citrus.
Physical map variation among Citrus cultivars and species, and
comparison with related genera. Theor. Appl. Genet., 72: 170-7.
Handa, T., Ishizawa, Y. and Oogaki, C. (1986). Phylogenetic study of
LITERATURE CITED 45
fraction I protein in the genus Citrus and its close related genera. Japan
J. Genet., 61; 15-24.
Hirai, M., Kozaki, I. and Kajiura, I. (1986). Isozyme analysis and
phylogenetic relationship of citrus. Japan J. Breed., 36: 377-89.
Hodgson, R. W. (1961). Taxonomy and nomenclature in Citrus. Int. Org.
Citrus Virol. Proc, 2: 1-7.
Jones, D. T. (1989). Progress in taxonomic research on the Auran-
tioideae of Southeast Asia. Paper presented at the FAO-UNDP Asian
Citrus Rehabilitation Conference, July 1989, Malang, Indonesia.
Komatsu, A., Akihama, T., Hidaka, T. and Omura, M. (1993).
Identification of Poncirus strains by DNA fingerprinting. In Techniques
on Gene Diagnosis and Breeding by Fruit Trees, ed. T. Hayashi, M. Omura
and N. S. Scott, pp. 88-95. Japan: FTRS.
Linnaeus, C. (1753). Species Plantarum. 2 vols. Stockholm.
Liu Gengfeng, He Shanwen and Li Wenbin (1990). Two new species of
Citrus in China. Ada Bot. Yunnanica, 12: 287—9.
Malik, M. N., Scora, R. W. and Soost, R. K. (1974). Studies on the
origin of the lemon. Hilgardia, 42: 361-82.
Matsuyama, T., Omura, M. and Akihama, T. (1993). DNA
fingerprinting in Citrus cultivars. In Techniques on Gene Diagnosis of
Breeding Fruit Trees, ed. T. Hayashi, M. Omura and N. S. Scott,
pp. 26-30. Japan: FTRS.
Mizuno, M., Linuma M., Ohara, M., Tanaka, T. and Iwamasa, M.
(1991). Chemotaxonomy of the genes Citrus based on
polymethoxyflavones. Chem. Pharm. Bull., 39: 945—9.
Nagy, S. and Nordby, H. E. (1972). Saturated and mono-unsaturated
long-chain hydrocarbon profiles of lipids from orange, grapefruit,
mandarin and lemon juice sacs. Lipids, 7: 666-70.
Omura, M., Hidaka, T., Nesumi, H., Yoshida T. and Nakamura, I.
(1993). PCR markers for Citrus identification and mapping. In
Techniques on Gene Diagnosis and Breeding in Fruit Trees, ed. T. Hayashi,
M. Omura and N. S. Scott, pp. 66-73. Japan: FTRS.
Robinson, T. R. (1952). Grapefruit and pummelo. Econ. Bot., 6., 228—45.
Roose, M. L. (1988). Isozymes and DNA restriction fragment length
polymorphisms in a citrus breeding and systematics. In Proc. Sixth Int.
Citrus Congr., ed. R. Goren and K. Mendel, Vol. I, pp. 155-65.
Philadelphia/Rehovot: Balaban Publishers; Weikersheim, Germany:
Margraf Scientific Books.
Rouseff, R. L. and Nagy, S. (1982). Distribution of limonoids in Citrus
seeds. Phytochemistry, 21: 85-90.
Saiki, R. K., Gelfand, D. H., Staffel, S., Scharf, S. J., Higuchi, R., Horn,
G. T., Mullis, K. B. and Erlich, H. A. (1988). Primer directed amplifi-
cation of DNA with a thermostable DNA polymerase. Science, 239:
487-91.
Samaan, L. G. (1982). Studies on the origin of Clementine tangerine
{Citrus reticulata Blanco). Euphytica, 31: 167-73.
Saunt, J. (1990). Citrus Varieties of the World. Norwich, England: Sinclair
International. 126 pp.
Scora, R. W. (1975). On the history and origin of citrus. Bull. Torrey Bot.
Club, 102: 369-75.
Scora, R. W. (1988). Biochemistry, taxonomy and evolution of modern
cultivated citrus. In Proc. Sixth Int. Citrus Congr., ed. R. Goren and K.
46 CITRUS AND ITS RELATIVES
Introduction
F O R A G O M P R E H E N S I V E description of the vegetative Citrus tree it is not
enough to provide a structural description of the basic organ units.
Attention must also be paid to physiological activity, at the organ level as
well as at the whole-plant level. Environmental, eco-physiological aspects
of tree activity must also be considered if a broader understanding of
citrus tree behavior is to be achieved.
Citrus trees belong to the 'evergreens', which do not shed their leaves
during the fall. The evergreen habit has important consequences for leaf
longevity and physiological activity, which must be reflected in leaf design
and structure. In the absence of fall abscission the longevity of leaves may
extend to a whole year and beyond. The year-round presence of leaves
enables uninterrupted, day-by-day photosynthetic activity, and thus a
continuous supply of photosynthates. However, in subtropical climate
zones winter temperatures might be quite low so that photosynthetic
gains during winter are lowered. The evergreen habit may have signifi-
cant implications with regard to the role of nutrient reserves, particularly
during springtime. Whereas deciduous trees are totally dependent for
early spring growth upon their carbohydrate reserves, evergreens like
citrus may at least partly rely on the supply of photosynthate from the
previous season's foliage. The evergreen character also has far-reaching
consequences for the annual cycle of flowering and fruiting, as will be
discussed in Chapter 4. While keeping these traits in mind, we may now
proceed with a discussion of the structure and function of citrus tree
organs.
[47]
48 VEGETATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTION
Figure 3.1 Seed of sour orange {Citrus aurantium); the chalazal end
up, the micropylar down (x2). Right, with both seed coats; note the
'beak' shaped micropylar end of the testa. Middle, without testa; note
the color of the tegmen and the distinct chalazal spot. Left, without
seed coats, the cotyledons exposed
SHOOT DEVELOPMENT 49
Citrus seeds have a high lipid content and are, therefore, sensitive to
excessive drying. About 20 days may elapse between sowing and emer-
gence at an optimum temperature of 30 °C, while up to 80 days may be
required at i5°C (Davies and Albrigo, 1994). Removal of the testa
enhances germination considerably.
Sowing is practiced mainly with rootstock cultivars which are grown in
nurseries and prepared for grafting. The rate of seedling development
varies considerably among cultivars and is greatly dependent upon
temperature, soil type, irrigation and, particularly, nitrogen fertilization.
Citrus seedlings are highly juvenile, much more so than rooted cuttings
or other vegetatively propagated plants. Juvenility is generally associated
with inability to flower, but the juvenile growth habit is revealed also in
upright, unbranched growth, abundance of thorns, and in certain
cultivars (e.g. Shamouti orange) by very large leaves. It is not uncommon
to find in young orchard trees parts of the canopy which are still juvenile
while others have already acquired a mature appearance.
Shoot development
Shoot growth, occurs in most types of citrus in several well-defined waves
(flushes). Under cool climatic conditions only two flushes appear
VEGETATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTION
Figure 3.4 Summer flush of Shamouti orange (C. sinensis). Note the
appearance of the shoot tip, which is on the verge of abscission. Also
note the 'ridges' formed along the stem, in a continuation of the leaf
petioles
VEGETATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTION
The growth of a new flush originates from an axillary bud close to the
top and is, therefore, at a slight angle to the previous one (Figure 3.5). The
ensuing sympodial zig-zag pattern is eventually obscured as the stem
increases in diameter. Shoot-tip abscission does not normally occur in
lemon; very long, upright vegetative shoots are not uncommon, therefore,
in lemon trees.
The newly forming stem is green and tender, with a prominent ridge
extending below the base of each petiole (Figure 3.4). The ridges cause the
young stems to be triangular in cross-section (Figure 3.6), but stems
eventually become round when secondary thickening takes over. De-
velopment of the vascular systems in citrus stems has been described in
detail by Schneider (1968). The wood of citrus belongs to the diffuse
porous type and is rather dense and hard. Detailed mathematical analysis
of the growth of the trunk and branches of grapefruit trees was conducted
by Turrell et al. (1980).
Leaves are arranged spirally around the stem, and the phyllotaxy of
most Citrus species, as well as that of Poncirus and Fortunella, is 3/8. The
phyllotaxy of pummelo and grapefruit has been found to be 2/5
(Schneider, 1968). The direction of spirality is reversed with each growth
flush (Schroeder, 1953).
An axillary bud occurs in the axil of each citrus leaf (Figure 3.4). The
axillary bud consists of an apical meristem, covered by several prophylls
(bud scales). Accessory buds develop in the axils of the prophylls; thus,
multiple buds are present in the axils of leaves (Figure 3.7). Axillary
thorns may subtend the buds, occurring opposite the first prophyll
(Figure 3.8). Thorns are particularly prominent in juvenile, vigorously
growing shoots.
The apparently simple leaf of citrus is in reality a compound unifoliate
leaf. It represents the terminal leaflet of a compound leaf like that of some
distant relatives of Citrus (e.g. Citropsis, Figure 2.2). The leaf of Poncirus
trifoliata (Figure 2.7) may represent an intermediate phylogenetic stage
between a pinnately compound leaf and a unifoliate leaf like that of Citrus,
where the only trace of the ancestral form is the presence of a joint between
the petiole and the blade. In citron (C. medico) the petioles are not clearly
articulated with the leaf blade.
In most Citrus species the petioles are winged (Figure 3.8). Grapefruit
and pummelo petiole wings are large, those of sweet orange are smaller
and petioles of lemon leaves are without wings. Within each species,
larger petiole wings are associated with juvenile growth.
Citrus leaves start their expansion before the termination of stem
elongation. The leaf, which is initially light green, reaches 80% of its full
size within 1—2 months and then turns dark green and leathery. The dry
matter content, which is about 29% in young, fully expanded leaves,
increases up to 45% in hardened, 1-year-old leaves. This includes large
amounts of cell wall materials as well as starch and other reserve carbo-
hydrates. Calcium oxalate and flavanoids are also regular constituents of
54 VEGETATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTION
Figure 3.6 Upper, cross section of young, triangular shoot from the
summer flush of Shamouti orange (C. sinensis) as viewed by SEM.
Lower, detail, showing the young cambium tissue between the
phloem and the xylem. Note the presence of oil glands along the
epidermis
SHOOT DEVELOPMENT 55
citrus leaves. Stomata are present mainly at the abaxial, lower surface of
leaves (400 to 700 per mm 2 ). Leaves acquire photosynthetic competence
rather slowly and start exporting only after all leaves of the shoot are fully
expanded. Maximum photosynthetic rates are attained at the age of 3—4
months and some decline in activity has been observed from 6 months on
(Fishier, 1985). Leaves remain active, however, until they drop and die,
which may take more than two years. Sun and shade leaves differ in
Leaf activity
Citrus belong to C 3 plants, with photosynthetic rates lower than those of
C 4 plants. Even among the C 3 group citrus are in the low activity range
(together with other tropical and subtropical trees), being considerably
Figure 3.8 Shoot explants of sour orange (C. aurantium) (left) and
Palestine sweet lime (C. limettoides) (right) (x0.5). Note the
developed petiole wings in sour orange and the absence of wings in
sweet lime. Axillary buds and thorns are shown
LEAF ACTIVITY 57
lower than annual crop plants and lower still compared with deciduous
fruit plants such as apple and grape (Kriedemann, 1971).
Assimilation rates of 4 to 8 umol CO 2 m~ 2 s" 1 seem realistic under
optimal field conditions; higher rates are frequently obtained in green-
house experiments. Low assimilation rates of citrus are accompanied by
low rates of transpiration and extreme sensitivity to moisture deficit
(Kriedemann and Barrs, 1981).
Figure 3.9 records a typical daily course of photosynthetic and trans-
pirational leaf activity, on the eastern and western side of two adjacent
grapefruit trees. Solar irradiation peaks are on the eastern side during late
EAST WEST
08 10 12 14 16 08 10 12 14 16
LOCAL TIME
Figure 3.9 Daily course of leaf activity on the eastern (EAST) and
western (WEST) side of two adjacent Marsh seedless grapefruit
(C. paradisi) trees, recorded on September 19, 1979. PAR, photo-
synthetically active radiation; RH, relative humidity; VPD, vapor
pressure deficit; POT, potential. Redrawn from Fishier (1985)
58 VEGETATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTION
root growth takes place. However, in previously dry zones of the soil
profile there is a two-day lag before the emergence of new rootlets can be
observed (Bevington and Castle, 1985). Thus, periodical orchard irriga-
tion regimes produce corresponding root growth cycles.
Fruiting also has marked effects on root development. In trees with a
heavy crop load (e.g. during the 'on' year of alternate-bearing cultivars)
root growth is completely checked, presumably due to depletion of
carbohydrates (Jones etal., 1975; Smith, 1976; Goldschmidt and Golomb,
1982). Root growth of other plant species is also closely dependent upon
carbohydrate availability (Farrar and Williams, 1994).
The alternating cycle of root and shoot growth periods (Figure 3.12)
suggests the existence of competition for nutrients between roots and
shoots. Shoots seem to have the priority; this is also indicated in pruning
experiments which show that shoot regrowth occurs at the expense of root
growth (Syvertsen, 1994). However, the antagonistic root—top relation-
ship might also have a hormonal background. According to classical
concepts, root growth is inhibited by the basipetal stream of auxin
produced by growing shoot meristems (Monselise, 1947).
Other plant hormones are also involved in root—top relationships,
A M J J A S O N
MONTH
Figure 3.12 Typical pattern of root and shoot growth for Valencia
orange trees on rough lemon (C. jambhiri) (left) and Carrizo citrange
(P. trifoliata x C. sinensis) (right) rootstocks. Reproduced from
Bevington and Castle (1985), with permission
ECO-PHYSIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE 65
Eco-physiological perspective
The genus Citrus is believed to have originated in tropical and semitropi-
cal parts of South East Asia and spread from there to other continents (see
Chapter 1). Different ideas have been proposed, however, with regard to
climatic adaptation of citrus. Kriedemann and Barrs (1981) hypothesized
that progenitors of present-day cultivars evolved as understory trees in
tropical rain forests. This hypothesis is in accordance with the view that
citrus is essentially a mesophyte, as indicated by its luxurious foliage and
relatively shallow root system.
On the other hand, as also noted by Kriedemann and Barrs (1981), the
mature, leathery leaves with their thick cuticle and epicuticular wax
reveal considerable xeromorphic adaptation, which is particularly strik-
ing in sun leaves. Moreover, citrus transpiration rates are low and the
trees can survive rather extended periods of drought. Yet, upon exposure
to direct, high irradiance leaf temperatures may rise 8-io°C above air
temperature, due to insufficient evaporative cooling (Syvertsen and
Lloyd, 1994)- This again indicates that citrus leaves are better adjusted to
66 VEGETATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTION
Recommended reading
Castle, W. S. (1980). Citrus root systems: their structure, function,
growth and relationship to tree performance. In Proc. Int. Soc.
Citriculture, igy8, ed. P. R. Cary, pp. 62-9. Griffith, NSW, Australia.
Erickson, L. C. (1968). The general physiology of Citrus. In The Citrus
Industry, Vol. 2, ed. W. Reuther, L. D. Batchelor and H. J. Webber,
pp. 86-126. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Goldschmidt, E. E. and Koch, K. E. (1996) Citrus. In Photoassimilate
Distribution in Plants and Crops: Source-Sink Relationships, ed. E. Zamski
and A. A. Schaffer, New York: Marcel Dekker (in press).
Kriedemann, P. E. and Barrs, H. D. (1981). Citrus orchards. In Water
Deficits and Plant Growth, Vol. 6, ed. T. T. Kozlowski, pp. 325-417.
New York: Academic Press.
Schneider, H. (1968). The anatomy of citrus. In The Citrus Industry,
Vol. 2, ed. W. Reuther, L. D. Batchelor and H. J. Webber, pp. 1-85.
Berkeley: University of California Press.
Syvertsen, J. P. and Lloyd, J. (1994). Citrus. In Handbook of Environmental
Physiology of Fruit Crops, Vol. 2, ed. B. Schaffer and P. C. Andersen,
pp. 65-99. B o c a Raton, FL: CRC Press.
LITERATURE CITED 67
Literature cited
Bevington, K. B. and Castle, W. S. (1985). Annual root growth pattern
of young citrus trees in relation to shoot growth, soil temperature and
soil water content. J. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci., 110: 840—5.
Bravdo, B. A., Levin, I. and Assaf, R. (1992). Control of root size and
root environment of fruit trees for optimal fruit production. J. Plant
Nutr., 15: 699-712.
Castle, W. S. (1980). Citrus root systems: their structure, function,
growth and relationship to tree performance. In Proc. Int. Soc.
Citriculture, ed. P. R. Cary, pp. 62-9. Griffith, NSW, Australia.
Castle, W. S. and Krezdorn, A. H. (1979). Anatomy and morphology of
field-sampled citrus fibrous roots as influenced by sampling depth and
rootstock. HortScience, 14: 603-5.
Cohen, S. (1984). Light relations of an orange canopy. PhD Thesis, The
Hebrew University ofJerusalem, 117 pp.
Cossman, K. F. (1940). Citrus roots: their anatomy, osmotic pressure and
periodicity of growth. Palest. J. Bot., 3: 65-103.
Davies, F. S. and Albrigo, L. G. (1994). Citrus. Wallingford, UK: CAB
International, 254 pp.
De Jong, T. M. and Grossman, Y. L. (1994). A supply and demand
approach to modeling annual reproductive and vegetative growth of
deciduous fruit trees. HortScience, 29: 1435-42.
Edriss, M. H., Davis, R. M. and Burger, D. W. (1984). Influence of
mycorrhizal fungi on cytokinin production in sour orange. J. Am. Soc.
Hort. Sci. 109: 587-90.
Eissenstadt, D. M. and Duncan, L. W. (1992). Root growth and
carbohydrate responses in bearing citrus trees following partial canopy
removal. Tree Physiol., 10: 245—57.
Erickson, L. C. and Brannaman, B. L. (i960). Abscission of reproductive
structures and leaves of orange trees. Proc. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci., 75: 222-
9-
Farrar, J. F. and Williams, J. H. H. (1994). Control of the rate of
respiration in roots: compartmentation, demand and the supply of
substrate. In Compartmentation of Metabolism, ed. M. Ernes, pp. 167-88.
London: Butterworths.
Fishier, M. (1985). Fruit size as related to photosynthesis and partition
of assimilates in grapefruit trees. PhD Thesis, The Hebrew University
of Jerusalem, 121 pp.
Frost, H. B. and Soost, R. K. (1968). Seed reproduction: development of
gametes and embryos. In The Citrus Industry, Vol. II, ed. W. Reuther,
L. D. Batchelor and H. J. Webber, pp. 290-324. Berkeley: University
of California Press.
Goldschmidt, E. E. and Golomb, A. (1982). The carbohydrate balance of
alternate-bearing citrus trees and the significance of reserves for
flowering and fruiting. J. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci., 107: 206—8.
Goldschmidt, E. E. and Koch, K. E. (1996). Citrus. In Photoassimilate
Distribution in Plants and Crops: Source-Sink Relationships, ed. E. Zamski
and A. A. Schaffer, New York: Marcel Dekker (in press).
Goldschmidt, E. E., Golomb, A. and Galili, D. (1991). The carbohydrate
balance of Citrus source leaves: effects of crop load, girdling and
diurnal fluctuations. Alon Hanotea (Hebrew), 46: 261-6.
68 VEGETATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTION
[70]
THE FLOWERING OF CITRUS
the Citrinae. This species has scale-protected flower buds which are
initiated during summer. Bloom occurs in early spring, on leafless
branches which have completely shed their characteristic trifoliate leaves
at the beginning of winter. Thus, Poncirus has a consistent deciduous
habit, probably caused by its adaptation to the cooler climates of the
temperate zones of north-eastern Asia (Monselise, 1985).
Research on flowering has focused to a large extent on plants in which
flower bud differentiation is induced photoperiodically. In numerous
plant species flowering does not appear to be under photoperiodic control,
however, and floral induction is triggered by temperature or other
environmental factors. In still other plants, flower bud differentiation
does not seem to depend entirely upon environmental factors and it is
assumed, therefore, to be controlled 'autonomously' by endogenous
factors (Halevy, 1984). Elucidation of the role of environmental factors in
the control of flowering is possible only through experimentation under
controlled environment conditions. As pointed out by Davenport (1990),
most research on the flowering of citrus has not been conducted under
such conditions. While keeping this reservation in mind we shall proceed
now to discuss the evidence concerning the control of flower bud differen-
tiation in citrus.
Environmental control
All species of citrus begin their major flowering flush in subtropical
regions during the late winter months, when days are short. The sugges-
tion has been made, therefore, that flowering of citrus might be induced by
the short winter day length.
Field experiments and greenhouse observations indicate that short
days are insufficient, in themselves, to induce flowering of citrus. It seems,
rather, that short photoperiods might predispose the induction of flower-
ing by low temperatures. Lenz (1969) described experiments in which
rooted cuttings of Washington navel orange were exposed to 8, 12 or 16
hour photoperiods at either mild (24°C day/i9°C night) or warm (30°C
day/25°C m S n t ) temperature regimes for a continuous period of 34 weeks.
Plants growing in the higher temperature regime produced vegetative
shoots with no inflorescences, regardless of day length. Plants growing in
the mild temperature range produced inflorescences only in 8- and 12-
hour day lengths. However, at lower temperatures (i8°C day/i3°C
night), flowering could be obtained under both short and long day
conditions (Moss, 1977)- Vegetative growth and stem elongation, on the
other hand, were strongly promoted under long days. While these results
substantiate the role of low temperatures, they also point to the existence
72 REPRODUCTIVE PHYSIOLOGY
\ /
6
-
Figure 4.2 Histogenesis in the terminal flower of Washington navel
orange (C. sinensis). 1. Sepal initiation begins; note bud primordia in
axils of the foliar leaves. (x132). 2. Later sepal initiation; note fatten-
ing of apex (x84). 3. Petal initiation; note axillary bud differentiation
(x53). 4. Stamen initiation; note conical shape of apex (x53).
5, 6. Carpel initiation (arrows) (both x33). AB, axillary bud; P, petal;
S, sepal; ST, stamen. Reproduced from Lord and Eckard (1985), with
permission
REPRODUCTIVE PHYSIOLOGY
bud the distal ends of the sepals envelop the internal floral organs. The
sepals are pushed aside by the expanding corolla. The corolla has five
white petals alternating with the sepals. Petals are thick, glossy with
interlocking, marginal, papillae to keep them reflexed. The stamens
appear as 20—40 white, partially united filaments, each bearing a yellow,
four-lobed anther. Anthers surround the pistil at or close to the level of the
stigma. The floral disc secretes watery nectar through the stomata. The
ovary (eight to 14 carpels), style and stigma comprise the pistil. Carpel
development has been described by Ford (1942) and Schneider (1968). At
stylar
canal
pollen :•/ anthers
'[stigma
pistil \ style
[ovary
filaments
petals
sepals
pedicel
Figure 4.6 Schematic drawing of an open citrus flower
the inner angle of the locule of each carpel the placenta develops, bearing
the ovules (see Figure 4.7).
The ovule is anatropous, with the micropyle facing the axis of the ovary.
The mature ovule consists of the funiculus, the nucellus, an eight-nucleate
embryo sac and two integuments. At flowering the ovary is subglobose,
distinct from a narrow style, as in orange, or subcylindrical, merging into
the style, as in lemon. The cylindrical style expands into the stigma. The
relatively large stigma is receptive one to a few days before anthesis and in
some cases up to six to eight days after anthesis (Randhawa et al., 1961).
Modified epidermal cells on the stigma secrete a viscous fluid, to which
the pollen stick. Canals extend from each locule through the style opening
on the stigma surface. Germinated pollen tubes supposedly pass down the
canals to convey the two sperm nuclei, although certain reports argue that
pollen tubes grow through the spaces between the stylar canals (Banerji,
1954; Geraci et aL, 1980).
Micro- and megasporogenesis have been described in detail by Frost
and Soost (1968).
ARGHESPORIUM AND POLLEN MOTHER CELLS
At an early stage in the development of the anther, archesporial cells are
recognizable by their larger nuclei and different staining. They divide
periclinically to produce an outer layer of parietal cells and an inner layer
82 REPRODUCTIVE PHYSIOLOGY
of sporogenous cells. Parietal cells divide to produce four cell layers. The
innermost layer forms the tapetum, the others with the epidermis form the
anther wall. The tapetum is single layered, but may be two or three
layered (Banerji, 1954). It surrounds the cylinder of pollen mother cells or
microsporocytes (Osawa, 1912) formed by successive divisions of the
primary sporogenous cells. The nucleus of each tapetal cell divides once;
later, further divisions occur, so that tapetal cells become binucleate or
multinucleate. While pollen grains develop, tapetal cells disintegrate,
supplying food material to the pollen.
MEIOSIS AND MIGROSPORES IN DIPLOIDS
The monoploid number of chromosomes in citrus diploids is nine. The
length of the small chromosomes at maximum condensation in the first
division is 2 microns or less. Just before separation in early anaphase I,
they may stretch to a greater length.
Before the first division pollen mother cells are distinguishable from the
tapetal cells by their size, the single nucleus, and different staining. At
anaphase I, the nine bivalents usually separate normally resulting in two
Development follows the usual course for angiosperm pollen. The micro-
spore enlarges, developing two heavy coats, exine and intine. Before the
anther dehisces, the nucleus divides forming a vegetative or tube nucleus
and a generative nucleus. The pollen are binucleate, but Banerji (1954)
reports grapefruit pollen to be trinucleate. Normal anthers are bright
yellow when mature. Defective pollen has a lighter color. Anthers contain-
ing no pollen are pale cream and do not dehisce.
Each of the four lobes of the anther develops a microsporangium or
enclosure in which microspores form and develop into pollen grains. The
two microsporangia in each half of the anther coalesce. In the mature
anther the pollen is held in two pollen sacs or anther locules (micro-
sporangia of Satsuma often remain separate). Each half of the anther
dehisces by a longitudinal split between the lobes; the epidermis dries out
and rolls back the anther wall, exposing the enclosed pollen.
ARGHESPORIUM AND EMBRYO SAC MOTHER CELLS
One cell near the apex of the nucleus is distinguished by its greater size
and larger nucleus. This is the archesporial cell. It divides once. The outer
cell is the tapetal cell, the inner is the embryo-sac mother cell, or
megasporocyte. The embryo-sac mother cell is buried in tissue near the
center of the nucellus. Occasionally, more than one embryo-sac mother
cell is formed in an ovule.
MEIOSIS AND MEGASPORES
The embryo-sac mother cell grows to several times its original size and
becomes elongated. Chromosomes of its nucleus pair during the prophase
of the first division. This occurs before the ovule is fully developed
(Bacchi, 1943). After the second division, cell walls are formed, producing
four cells in a row extending longitudinally in the nucellus. These four
cells are the megaspores.
84 REPRODUCTIVE PHYSIOLOGY
Figure 4.8 A mature citron (C. medica) fruit with a persistent style
(c. xO.75)
86 REPRODUCTIVE PHYSIOLOGY
nuclei initiating the endosperm. Fertilization of the egg cell occurs two or
three days after pollination under favorable conditions but, in some cases, a
three to four week lapse has been reported. Cell division of the zygote starts
soon afterwards. By that time the endosperm is already multicellular.
Nucellar embryos
Nucellar embryos develop asexually by ordinary mitotic division of cells
of the nucellus. The apomictic process thus generates seeds containing
embryos of a purely maternal genetic constitution.
In apomictic citrus genotypes sexual and apomictic processes occur
within the same ovule. Nucellar embryos are initiated from the nucellar
tissue in the region around the developing sexual embryo sac (Wakana
and Uemoto, 1987, 1988; Koltunow, 1993). Nucellar cells destined to
become embryos have large nuclei and a dense cytoplasm (Kobayashi et
ai, 1982; Bruck and Walker, 1985). Nucellar embryo initial cells are first
apparent at or soon after anthesis in the nucellar cell layers surrounding
the chalazal portion of the sexual embryo sac. Further initials are found,
later, in the micropylar region and along the length of the embryo sac. As a
result of growth in the chalazal end of the ovule both sexual and nucellar
embryos are eventually driven toward the micropylar end of the embryo
sac. The first division of the citrus nucellar initial cells has been found to
occur around the time of the first zygotic division. Nucellar embryo
development is quite similar to stages of development found in sexual
embryos (Bruck and Walker, 1985). The growth of the zygotic embryo is
often slower when compared with that of nucellar embryos (a crowding
effect can also be observed). The zygotic embryo may also not complete its
development (Frost and Soost, 1968). Polyembryonic seed often contain
embryos at different stages of maturation.
Not all ovules within a particular citrus ovary are fertilized. Wakana
and Uemoto (1988) found that the nucellar embryos in unfertilized ovules
were arrested at the globular or very early cotyledonary stages. Koltunow
(1993) observed embryo development in fertilized and unfertilized ovules
of Valencia orange and found that the initiation of nucellar embryo
development occurs in the developing fruit at a similar time in both kinds
of ovules. Koltunow assumes that there is a general ovary signal for
nucellar embryo development which is independent of fertilization. When
unfertilized ovules were excised from mature fruit and cultured on a
simple medium lacking plant hormones (Moore, 1985) the arrested
embryos were able to complete their development. It appears, therefore,
that a sufficient source of nutrition is essential for the completion of
nucellar embryogenesis. Presumably, the nutritional factors are normally
THE FLOWERING OF CITRUS 87
Parthenocarpy
Fertilization leading to seed formation is generally a prerequisite for fruit
set and lack of fertilization will inevitably end up in drop of the ovary.
There are, nevertheless, numerous plants which produce seedless fruit.
Production of fruit without seeds is parthenocarpy (Frost and Soost,
1968). The setting of fruit without any external stimulation is defined as
autonomic parthenocarpy. The Satsuma mandarin, which forms fruit in
the absence of pollination, belongs in this category. The term stimulative
parthenocarpy is used to describe cases in which some kind of stimulus is
required. In stimulative parthenocarpy, pollination, pollen germination
and pollen tube growth, unaccompanied by fecundation, provide suf-
ficient stimulation for set of seedless fruit. Thus, self pollination may exert
a sufficient stimulus in self-incompatible genotypes for the setting of
seedless fruit. Application of gibberellin A3 replaces the need for pollina-
tion in Clementine and in other C. reticulata hybrids, leading to production
of parthenocarpic, seedless fruit (Chapter 5, Table 5.9). In some cases
of parthenocarpy, fruit with occasional seeds can be found as a result of
incomplete female sterility (Washington navel orange, Marsh seedless
grapefruit). Parthenocarpic tendency and ovule sterility may vary inde-
pendently. Some usually seeded cultivars may be capable of a variable
degree of parthenocarpy, especially self-incompatible ones (see Chapter
6). Vardi et al. (1988) state that the potential for pollen-stimulated
parthenocarpic fruit is rather widespread in citrus, and the possibility of
only a few genes being involved cannot be excluded. Ovule fertility and
the presence of compatible pollen mask stimulative parthenocarpy. In
natural and induced seedlessness (see Chapter 6), the seedless condition is
generally accompanied by irregularities of meiosis. In a few cases in Citrus,
a phenomenon resembling stenospermocarpy (fecundation followed by
post-zygotic abortion) has been noted.
88 REPRODUCTIVE PHYSIOLOGY
Renewed growth of the albedo and thickening of the peel occur in certain
cultivars during fruit maturation and senescence.
The pulp, which is the edible portion of the fruit, consists of segments,
the ovarian locules, enclosed in a locular membrane and filled with juice
sacs (sometimes called juice vesicles). Development of the juice sacs has
been followed in detail by Schneider (1968). Juice sacs are initiated at
about bloom, appearing at first as dome shaped protrusions from the
locular membrane into the locules (Figure 4.9). Development of the
domes into juice sacs occurs through apical meristem activity and sub-
sequently by an obese mass of meristematic tissue giving rise to the body
of the sac. In the mature fruit, juice sacs appear as elongated, mostly
spindle-shaped multicellular structures, projecting from a stalk im-
planted in the periphery of the segment toward the central axis, where the
seeds are found (Figure 4.13). The overall structure of the mature fruit
with its vascular systems is shown schematically in Figure 4.14.
Juice sacs are the ultimate 'sink' organ of citrus and their development
presents intriguing physiological problems. The fact that the juice sacs are
not connected to the vascular system which provides water and assimi-
lates to the fruit has long been recognized by students of fruit morphology
(Schneider, 1968). Recent studies by Koch and coworkers (Koch et al.
1986, Koch & Avigne, 1990) have confirmed and extended these observa-
tions. Neither juice sacs nor their stalks (Figure 4.13) nor the segment
epidermis to which the stalks are attached show any differentiation of
transfer organs. Thus, juice sacs must obtain their supply over long
distances (up to 3 cm) of postphloem, through nonvascular cell-to-cell
transport. Labeling experiments indicate that the entry of water and
assimilates into juice sacs is extremely slow. It is still not clear whether the
cell-to-cell transfer of assimilates takes place via symplastic (i.e. plasmo-
desmata) or apoplastic (i.e. cell wall) routes. The biophysical mechanisms
of water and solute uptake by the growing fruit as well as the biochemical
reactions involved need further elucidation.
Fruit development
In a classical study, Bain (1958) divided the development of Valencia
orange fruit into three major stages: cell division (I), cell enlargement (II)
and fruit maturation (III). Bain's division seems appropriate for most
citrus fruits, although times and duration of developmental stages may
vary, according to cultivar, climate, etc. (Figure 4.15). In Figure 4.15 the
hatched areas marked between stages I/I I/I 11 are meant to indicate that
it is impossible to draw an exact borderline between these somewhat-
overlapping stages.
The cell-division period (stage I) may be assumed to commence at fruit
set, immediately following anthesis. However, differences in fruit size
between leafy and leafless inflorescences are already evident in the ovaries
prior to anthesis (Guardiola & Lazaro, 1987; Hofman, 1988). The size of
the ovary also varies as a function of the number of flowers per tree
flavedo
albedo
marginal oil
bundle glands
seed
seed
bundle
bundles
ovular
bundle
dorsal
bundle
axial
bundle
r calyx
U1
UJ
/ UJ
Q.
a. /
240 - /
200 /
Palmira, / ^-- 1—
1=160 _ Colombia /
ysSoniQ Paula,
3 f California
O
>
80
Mature and marketable
40 Advanced senescence,
unmarketable
I I I I I I
6 8 10 12 14 18 20
MONTHS AFTER BLOOM
Figure 4.17 Schematic presentation of typical Valencia orange
growth curves in two widely different climatic situations. In addition,
periods of immaturity, market maturity and advanced senescence are
approximated (modified from Reuther, 1973)
area is occupied by the albedo and by the massive central axis. At the
other end are thin-peeled mandarins. Here, the pulp predominates while
the albedo had degenerated and almost disappeared. Between these
extremes are all other kinds of citrus — pummeloes, grapefruit and oranges
represent, in a decreasing order, different peel/pulp ratios. This is un-
doubtedly a genetically controlled trait which might, to some extent, be
mediated by plant hormones.
Fruit abscission
The term 'abscission' has been assigned to the shedding of plant organs,
commonly known as fruit (or leaf) drop. Abscission became only recently
acknowledged as a genetically programmed, hormonally controlled de-
velopmental process (Osborne, 1989). In citrus, which is an evergreen,
most research efforts have been focused on fruit abscission. Leaf ab-
scission also received considerable attention, however, and citrus leaf
explants were among the first detached organ systems used in physiologi-
cal studies of abscission (Addicott et al., 1949).
Two major kinds of fruit abscission may be discerned during fruit
development and each seems to have a specific role. Fruitlet abscission
(which in many cultivars commences, in fact, during bloom) is a self-
thinning mechanism which adjusts the number of fruit to the tree's
bearing potential. The shedding of mature fruit, on the other hand, may
be regarded as part of the evolutionary seed-dispersal program. Both
abscission phases have practical implication. Fruitlet thinning is prac-
ticed in cases of excessive fruit set (e.g. Murcott tangor and other alternate
bearing cultivars), or where the reduction of fruit numbers will pay off
through increase in fruit size (Goldschmidt and Monselise, 1978). The
abscission of mature fruit, often called 'preharvest drop', occurs in various
cultivars, especially during cool, wet winter months. It is assumed to
result from decline in the stream of native auxin reaching the fruit.
Indeed, relatively low concentrations of synthetic auxins have long been
in use for control of this type of abscission (see Chapter 5, Table 5.9).
Additional waves of fruit drop occur in certain cultivars between the
end of fruitlet drop and fruit ripening. The phenomenon was described in
navel orange and is apparently related to the presence of the secondary
fruit (the navel) (Lima et aL, 1980). Fruit splitting, which occurs in
various C. reticulata cultivars and hybrids during late summer—early
autumn, also results in massive fruit drop. These abscission waves appear
to be associated with certain mechanical injuries which, presumably,
result in the production of ethylene.
Considerable efforts have been invested in the search for chemicals
98 REPRODUCTIVE PHYSIOLOGY
an advantage for the processing industry. On the other hand, these fruits
are low, often very low, in acid, resulting in poor edible quality. Thus, the
somewhat cooler, subtropical areas are preferable for production of
oranges and mandarins for the fresh fruit market.
soluble solids (TSS) (Figure 4.19). With acidity declining and sugars
increasing towards maturation, the TSS/TA ratio is extremely sensitive
and is commonly used, therefore, as a 'maturity index'. The arrow in
Figure 4.19 indicates a TSS/TA ratio of 8 which has been reached, in this
case, at about the same time that chlorophyll disappeared. This is not the
rule, and peel coloration of different cultivars may often precede or lag
behind internal maturity. Degreening with ethylene is practiced in the
latter case, mainly with early cultivars (Grierson et al., 1986).
The increase in the percentage of expressible juice (juice content,
Figure 4.19) is at least partly due to release of water within the pulp tissue,
en
40 ^hlorophyll
\
\
i
\
20
UJ
yxarotenoids
o
a. \ //
0 1 1 1
XI Xlf I II III IV
MONTH
XI XII I ill IV
MONTH
Figure 4.19 Major biochemical changes occurring during matura-
tion of Shamouti orange (C. sinensis) (see text)
FRUIT DEVELOPMENT AND MATURATION IO3
Citrus fruit are the most widely exported fresh fruit. Shipment by sea
and prolonged marketing periods have necessitated the development of
sophisticated postharvest treatments, to ensure extended fruit viability
and protection from pathological deterioration. Packing houses have
become, therefore, an important station on the way from the orchard to
the fresh fruit market. In the packing house the fruit is first thoroughly
rinsed and scrubbed and subsequently waxed, to replace the natural wax
which had been removed during the cleaning process. In the packing
house the fruit is also supplied (usually through the wax) with fungistatic
chemicals for the control of postharvest decay diseases and with growth
regulators: 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) to prevent abscission
of the pedicel at the calyx, and gibberellin A3 (GA3) to increase viability
(Coggins and Hield, 1968; Monselise, 1979; Davies, 1986; see also
Chapter 5). GA3 also increases fruit resistance to certain pathological
diseases (Coggins et al., 1994).- Growing concern in recent years over the
amount of toxic residues in fruit has prompted efforts to develop physical
and biological treatments which should replace, or at least reduce, the
amounts of agrochemicals applied to fruit. This trend will probably
become more dominant in years to come.
the role of gibberellins in peel growth derives from the fact that exogenous
gibberellins reduce the incidence of creasing and of related peel-
deterioration phenomena (Embleton et al., 1973a; Monselise et al., 1976;
Coggins and Henning, 1988).
Growth substances also play an important role in the control of fruit
maturation. This, again, concerns mainly the peel - internal quality and
juice content are seldom affected by growth regulators (Coggins and
Hield, 1968; El-Otmani and Coggins, 1991). Chloro-chromoplast trans-
formation, as revealed in peel pigment changes, is the major physiological
trait affected by growth substances. While the role of endogenous ethylene
in the triggering of citrus fruit maturation requires further, unequivocal
proof (Goldschmidt et al., 1993a), exogenous ethylene markedly acceler-
ates the senescent pigment changes of the peel, particularly the loss of
chlorophyll. Gibberellins and cytokinins, on the other hand, delay the
senescent color changes (cf. Goldschmidt, 1988). Chloro-chromoplast
transformation is, to some extent, reversible — the phenomenon is known
as 'regreening'. Regreening consists of renewed build up of chlorophyll
and chloroplast membranes and the photosynthetic activities are also
partly restored (Thomson etal., 1967; Saks etal., 1988). Mature Valencia
orange fruit held on the tree undergo regreening during the summer and
the process is enhanced by gibberellins (Coggins and Lewis, 1962).
Environmental, nutritional and hormonal signals appear to be involved
in the control of chloro-chromoplast interconversions, as summarized in
Figure 4.20 (Goldschmidt, 1988). Although the experimental evidence is
incomplete, the following hypothesis seems to account for most observa-
tions. As long as temperatures permit root growth, root hormones
(gibberellins, cytokinins) and other nitrogenous substances reach the
canopy and delay the senescent color changes. When autumn sets in,
temperatures drop, root growth stops, the level of root substances declines
and peel senescence ensues. The renewal of root growth during spring re-
elevates the level of root hormones, thereby leading to regreening. In the
tropics, high temperatures prevail all year round, root growth occurs
uninterruptedly and root substance levels are always sufficiently high to
interfere with fruit coloration. Plant growth substances are thus inti-
mately involved in all stages of fruit set, development, maturation and
senescence.
Fruit composition
Table 4.2 lists several classes of native constituents of citrus fruits, and
also gives some estimates of their concentrations in peel and juice of
orange and lemon. The significance of some of these compounds is related
FRUIT DEVELOPMENT AND MATURATION 107
to citrus fruits' edible and nutritional qualities, while others are important
by-products of the processing industry.
The soluble sugar pool contains mainly glucose, fructose and sucrose.
In orange, grapefruit and mandarin juice the amount of sucrose exceeds
that of fructose and glucose. Pulp sucrose levels increase markedly
towards ripening, reaching in certain mandarins 15 to 18% of fresh weight
(Tzur, 1994). In the peel, the soluble sugar pool often contains more
reducing sugars (glucose, fructose) than sucrose. In juices of lemon and
lime the amounts of sucrose are minimal.
Ascorbic acid, better known nutritionally as vitamin C, is bio-
chemically related to sugars although its precise biosynthetic route in
citrus has not been elucidated. Citrus fruits have been known for a long
time as a major dietary source of ascorbic acid. As early as the seventeenth
century citrus fruits have been found to prevent the scurvy (scorbutus)
disease. A teaspoonful of citrus juice was often included, therefore, in the
daily ration of seamen (Sinclair, 1984). Citrus fruit peel has a higher
ascorbic acid content than the juice. Fruit exposed to sunlight have a
significantly higher ascorbic acid content, as well as a higher total soluble
CARBOHYDRATES
ETHYLENE
GIBBERELLINS,
CYTOKININS
NITROGEN
solids content. The ascorbic acid content does not change much after
harvest, even during several months' storage. Processing of fruit may
involve considerable losses, unless special precautions are exercised
(Sinclair, 1984).
Pectins are major cell-wall components of fleshy fruits. Pectins are
large, complex carbohydrate macromolecules, composed of partly methy-
lated polygalaturonic acid backbones and considerable amounts of other
sugar residues. Various methods for extraction and separation of pectins
from other cell-wall components have been developed. Extensive research
has been conducted on the pectic materials of citrus fruits (Sinclair, 1984).
Citrus pectins have a high galacturonic acid content. Citrus fruit, par-
ticularly the peel, serve as an important raw material for production of
high-quality commercial pectin. Pectin is used in the food industry,
mainly as a jellying agent.
Acidity is a major determinant of fruit taste and edibility. Organic acids
play a central role in fruit metabolism (Ulrich, 1970). Malic acid in apple,
tartaric acid in grape and citric acid in Citrus, all show a distinct peak at
the midst of the growth period, followed by a descent towards ripening
(Monselise, 1986). The citric acid of citrus juice is probably produced by a
side cycle, coexisting with the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Accumulation of
citric acid has been proposed to be brought about by the high concentra-
tion of citramalate, which blocks aconitase activity (Wallace et aL, 1977).
Citrus fruits vary greatly in their acid content; even cultivars of the same
species (e.g. orange, lime) show extreme differences. The genetics of the
acidless trait has been studied in several Citrus species and found to be
complex (Cameron & Soost, 1979). The biochemical background of these
differences in acidity is as yet poorly understood (Wallace et aL, 1977).
While citric acid is the main acid component of juice, with malic acid
coming next, malic and malonic are the major acids in the flavedo and
albedo (Sasson & Monselise, 1977). The total acid content of the peel is
much lower, however, than that of the juice (c. 5%). Malonic acid appears
to increase during rind senescence and off the tree (Monselise, 1986).
The flavonoids are an important class of plant secondary metabolites,
belonging to the broader family of plant phenolics. The flavonone
glucosides of citrus have been subject to numerous studies over the years
(Kesterson & Hendrickson, 1953; Goren, 1965; Sinclair, 1984). Consider-
able progress has been achieved recently in their analysis (Castillo et aL,
1992) and their biosynthetic pathway, including some of the key enzymes
involved, has been elucidated (Hasegawa & Maier, 1982; Bar Peled etaL,
1993). Hesperidin and naringin are known to be the major flavanone
glucosides of orange and grapefruit, respectively. The overall distribution
of flavonoids in Citrus species is more complex, however, and attempts
FRUIT DEVELOPMENT AND MATURATION III
Essential oils are volatile, fatty plant constituents contained in the oil
glands found in most citrus organs, particularly in the flavedo. The
essential oils are chemically composed of terpenes, aldehydes, alcohols,
acids and hydrocarbons and rarely exist as esters of the ordinary fatty
acids. Lemon oil was found by Kesterson et al. (1971) to contain more than
100 chemical constituents, 68 of which have been definitely identified.
The monoterpene, d-limonene, is the principal constituent (60-90%) of
fruit essential oils, whereas leaves have other monoterpenes as their major
constituents. Analyses of leaf essential oils have been used for chemo taxo-
nomy of Citrus species. Citrus essential oils are widely used for cosmetic
and pharmaceutical purposes, as well as flavoring agents in the food and
beverage industry. Records of commercial lemon oil production in Italy
date back more than four centuries. The Italian lemon oil, produced by
the old, hand-pressing method has been renowned for its high quality. In
Sicily and other lemon-growing areas of southern Italy, a considerable
portion of the crop, at times even most of it, was diverted to the essential
oil industry. There are two types of commercial essential oils: coldpressed
oil and distilled oil. The production method affects the yield and chemical
composition of the oil. Commercial yields of lemon oil range between 0.54
and 0.78% of fruit weight (Sinclair, 1984).
About 30 limonoid triterpene derivatives have been identified in Citrus
species. Limonin is the major member of this group. Limonin is the
principle bitter compound of citrus juices and as such has been subject to
extensive research (Maier et al., 1980; Hasegawa & Maier, 1982; Ting &
Rouseff, 1986). In intact fruit, limonin is present in the monolactone form,
which is the nonbitter precursor of limonin (Maier & Beverly, 1968). This
explains the delayed development of bitterness in citrus juices. Consider-
able efforts have been put into the development of enzymatic debittering
techniques. Similar approaches have been undertaken also with regard to
the naringin bitterness of grapefruit juice (Hasegawa & Maier, 1982).
The compounds listed in Table 4.2 represent some of the best known
constituents of citrus fruits. Citrus fruits contain, of course, many
additional native compounds which may turn out to be of interest for
human use in the future.
Citrus productivity
Productivity is the final outcome of a long chain of developmental events.
'Failure' in any one of these steps will normally result in lack of fruit.
Having gone through the various stages of flowering and fruiting in
CITRUS PRODUCTIVITY
INDUC- SHOOTS,
TION & FLOWER
FRUIT DEVELOPMENT MATURATION
DIFFEREN- DEVELOP
TIATION MENT
FLOWER 8« PRE-
FRUITLET HARVEST
DROP DROP
106 _ .
UJ
UJ
cr
c
UNIT
IxJ
\ /
gio> -
-
B '• 1 1 1 1 1 l^^i 1 I 1 1 1 1
DEC. FEB. APR. JUNE AUG. OCT. DEC. FEB.
MONTHS
Fruit set
The term 'fruit set' is commonly used to describe the process through
which the flower ovary adheres and becomes fruit. For the individual fruit
it is an 'all or none' event, to persist or to drop. When the ovary population
of an entire tree is considered, however, the rate of fruit set assumes a
quantitative meaning. The initial rate of fruit set, as observed soon after
petal fall, is reduced markedly during the fruitlet abscission period. The
final rate of set is determined only when fruitlet drop comes to an end, 10
to 12 weeks after anthesis.
The percentage set expresses the ratio between the rather small, final
number of fruit and the initial, very large number of flowers. Thus,
seemingly small deviations in percentage set make all the difference
between small, average and large yields. The percentage set reveals an
interesting relationship with the number of flowers. When the number of
flowers is large, the percentage set may be in the range of 0.1 to 0.5%.
However, when the number of flowers is small, the percentage set gets
much higher, up to 10%. Thus, the rate of set compensates, to some
extent, for the limited number of flowers. This indicates that the tree is
able to modify its rate of drop and adjust it to its fruit-bearing potential
(Goldschmidt & Monselise, 1978). Further aspects of the self-thinning
mechanism of fruitlet drop have been discussed in the section on 'Fruit
abscission' in this chapter.
CITRUS PRODUCTIVITY II5
Fruit size
At the termination of fruitlet abscission the size of the individual fruit is
still small (Figure 4.21). The following few months are devoted to fruit
enlargement, which requires large amounts of photosynthate. That the
availability of photosynthate is indeed limiting fruit growth is demon-
strated by the dramatic effects of girdling and fruit thinning. Girdling
consists of removal of a ring of bark from the trunk or scaffold branches,
thereby interfering with downward phloem transport. Girdling during the
fruit-enlargement phase brings up to 30% increase in fruit weight (Cohen,
1984), presumably by preventing the 'escape' of photosynthate from the
300 -
0 1 2 3 4
LEAF AREA/FRUIT(m 2 )
Figure 4.22 Fruit volume increment as a function of leaf area per
fruit. Each point represents a single fruit of Marsh seedless grapefruit
(C. paradisi) on partially defoliated, girdled branches. Girdling per-
formed on May 25; the growth increment is for 32 days (June 28-July
30). The full triangle is the average growth increment of control fruit
on nongirdled branches. Modified from Fishier etal. (1983)
Il6 REPRODUCTIVE PHYSIOLOGY
10* , 1
11
'III"
1 J
: D
^El GRAPEFRUIT
- A ^ W W ^ ORANGE -
°o o £(* o MANDARIN
1 1 1 1
"
0
o° :
1
1
1
101 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 I i I i i I i
10 103 10 4
NO. OF F R U I T S / T R E E
Figure 4.23 Weight of individual fruit of different Citrus species
plotted against the number of fruit per tree (logarithmic scale on both
axes). Data from separate experiments. Each point represents an
average from all the fruit of a single tree. Modified from Goldschmidt
and Monselise (1978)
RECOMMENDED READING II7
Recommended reading
Davenport, T. L. (1990). Citrus flowering. Hort. Rev., 12: 249-408.
Frost, H. B. and R. K. Soost. (1968). Seed reproduction, development of
gametes and embryos. In The Citrus Industry, Vol. II, ed. W. Reuther,
L. D. Batchelor and H. J. Webber, pp. 290-324. Berkeley: University
of California Press.
Goldschmidt, E. E. and Monselise, S. P. (1978). Physiological
assumptions toward the development of a citrus fruiting model. In
Proc. Int. Soc. Citriculture, igyy, Vol. 2, ed. W. Grierson, pp. 668-72.
Lake Alfred, Florida: ISC.
Goren, R. (1993). Anatomical, physiological and hormonal aspects of
abscission in citrus. Hort. Rev., 15: 145-82.
Monselise, S. P. (1985). Citrus and related species. In CRC Handbook of
Flowering, Vol. 2, ed. A. H. Halevy, Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Monselise, S. P. (1986). Citrus. In Handbook of Fruit Set and Development,
ed. S. P. Monselise, pp. 87-108. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Reuther, W. (1973). Climate and citrus behavior. In The Citrus Industry,
Vol. 3, ed. W. Reuther, pp. 280-337. Berkeley: University of
California Press.
Schneider, H. (1968). The anatomy of citrus. In The Citrus Industry,
Vol. I, ed. W. Reuther, L. D. Batchelor and H. J. Webber, pp. 1-85.
Berkeley: University of California Press.
Il8 REPRODUCTIVE PHYSIOLOGY
Sinclair, W. B. (1984). The Biochemistry and Physiology of the Lemon and Other
Citrus Fruits. Oakland, California: University of California, Division of
Agriculture and Natural Resources. 946 pp.
Literature cited
Addicott, F. T., Lynch, R. S., Livingston, G. A. and Hunter, J. K.
(1949). A method for the study of foliar abscission in vitro. Plant
PhysioL, 24: 537~9-
Aharoni, Y. (1968). Respiration of oranges and grapefruit harvested at
different stages of development. Plant PhysioL, 43: 99-102.
Bacchi, O. (1943). Cytological observations in Citrus: III.
Megasporogenesis, fertilization and polyembryony. Bot. Gaz., 105:
221-5.
Bain, J. M. (1958). Morphological, anatomical and physiological
changes in the developing fruit of the 'Valencia' orange, Citrus sinensis
(L.) Osbeck. Austr.J. Bot., 6: 1-24.
Banerji, I. (1954). Morphological and cytological studies on Citrus grandis
Osbeck. Phytomorphology, 4: 390-6.
Bar Peled, M., Fluhr, R. and Gressel, J. (1993). Juvenile specific
localization and accumulation of a rhamnosyltransferase and its bitter
flavanoid in foliage, flowers and young citrus fruits. Plant PhysioL, 103:
1377-84.
Bellows, T. S. Jr, Morse, J. G. and Lovatt, C. J. (1989). Modelling
flower development in citrus. In Manipulation of Fruiting, ed. C. J .
Wright, pp. 115—29. London: Butterworth & Co.
Bruck, D. K. and Walker, D. B. (1985). Cell determination during
embryogenesis in Citrus jambhiri. I. Ontogeny of the epidermis. Bot.
Gaz., 146: 188-95.
Cameron, J. W. and Frost, H. B. (1968). Genetics, breeding and nucellar
embryony. In The Citrus Industry, Vol. II, ed. W. Reuther, L. D.
Batchelor and H. J. Webber, Berkeley: University of California Press.
Cameron, J. W. and Soost, R. K. (1979). Absence of acidless progeny
from crosses of acidless X acidless Citrus cultivars.y. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci.,
104: 220-2.
Casella, D. (1935). L'agrumicultura siciliana. Ann. R. Staz. Frutt. Agrum.
Acireale N.S., 2: 165-76.
Cassin, J., Bourdeaut, B., Gougue, F., Furin, V., Gaillard, J. P., Le
Bourdelles, J., Montigut, C. and Monevil, C. (1969). The influence of
climate upon the blooming of citrus in tropical areas. In Proc. 1st Int.
Citrus Symp., Vol. I, ed. H. D. Chapman, pp. 315-23. Riverside,
California: University of California.
Castillo, J., Benabente, O. and Del Rio, J. A. (1992). Naringin and
neohesperidine levels during development of leaves, flowers and fruits
of Citrus aurantium. Plant PhysioL, 99: 67-73.
Chapman, H. D. (1968). The mineral nutrition of citrus. In The Citrus
Industry, 2nd edn., Vol. II, ed. W. Reuther, L. D. Batchelor and H. J .
Webber, pp. 127-289. Berkeley: University of California Press.
LITERATURE CITED I 19
[126]
ROOTSTOCKS 127
required for harvesting large-sized trees has further favored this trend. On
the other extreme, many old orchards in the Mediterranean area used to
have high tree densities, ranging up to iooo and, in some cases 1500, trees
per hectare. Under such crowded conditions, most of the canopy was
shaded out and fruit was produced only in the upper portion of the tree,
where light conditions are satisfactory, leading to overall low production.
Modern trends in the culture of deciduous trees have further contrib-
uted toward the development of the concept of the compact, highly
productive citrus tree. Thus, the control of tree size has become a major
issue in orchard management. Ideally, appropriate stock/scion combina-
tions should provide for the desirable tree size. Such combinations are
available in citrus only in a few cases. Considerable efforts have been
made, therefore, in the search for dwarfing rootstocks. Inoculation with
mild strains of the exocortis viroid has been shown to control effectively
tree size in Marsh grapefruit and other varieties (see Diseases, Chapter 5).
Maintenance of tree size and adequate light may be accomplished by
pruning, which is usually carried out mechanically through 'hedging' and
'topping'. These are rather costly operations, however, which involve the
removal of peripheral fruit layers of the canopy and which are therefore
usually undertaken only once every two to three years. Root restriction is
another means of controlling tree size. The drip irrigation technique,
which involves concentration of the root system mostly in the soil volume
surrounding the dripper, can be utilized to restrict tree size. Growth
retardants such as paclobutrazol have also been tried as soil drenches, for
the same purpose.
Rootstocks
Easy propagation by seed and transport of seed facilitated expansion of
citrus to new environments. Apomixis also allowed propagation true to
type of worthy genotypes. Citrus trees were generally grown from seed till
the mid 1800s. They are still grown from seed in certain areas of Central
and South America and in South East Asia. In the latter environment
pummeloes and mandarins are also propagated by air layers (marcot-
tage). As a result of grave damage to seedling trees by Phytophthora foot rot,
in the Azores (around 1842) and elsewhere, with orange seedlings being
particularly sensitive, the transition to the use of budded trees in citricul-
ture began in most environments. Seedling citrus trees also show a high
degree of juvenility, which is often associated with later bearing. Citrus
cultivars (scions) are budded or grafted onto highly apomictic rootstocks
128 ASPECTS OF CULTIVATED CITRUS
propagated from seed. Trees are thus composed of two components: scion
and rootstock. The horticultural performance of a citrus tree is the result
of the reciprocal interaction between the tree's genetic components.
The rootstock has a large effect on scion vigor and size, fruit size, yield,
fruit and juice quality as well as on tolerance to salt, cold and drought.
Rootstocks differ widely in tolerance to Phytophthora, viruses and
nematodes. Citrus rootstocks also have a considerable effect on leaf
mineral content in the scion (Wutscher, 1989). The main characteristics
of the leading rootstocks are given in Table 5.1.
Rootstocks have also to be acceptable nursery plants and to show good
and prolonged compatibility with scion varieties. Compatibility has been
assessed by bud union smoothness, absence of anatomical and mor-
phological abnormalities and satisfactory tree vigor. An adequate number
of seeds in the fruit and a high degree of nucellar embryony are required to
facilitate commercial propagation of rootstocks by seed.
Rootstocks have contributed to a very large extent to successes and
failures in citrus industries. At present, smaller, high-yielding trees are
sought for closer plantings. However, in contrast to the apple, no satisfac-
tory dwarfing stocks in citrus are as yet generally available. Certain
rootstock combinations contribute to high yields per unit of land at close
spacings. Efforts to reduce citrus tree size include experiments with
tetraploid rootstocks, trials of the semi-dwarfing Rangpur X Troyer
(sensitive to Phytophthora and citrus blight) and of the dwarfing rootstock
'Flying Dragon'. The latter, probably a mutant of Poncirus trifoliata,
reduced canopy volume of 9-year-old Valencia trees to a third of that of
trees on standard rootstocks (Roose et al., 1994).
plant growth, the crop and the evaporative demand of the atmosphere,
depending on soil water availability. If the crop is subject to stress, ET will
decline. During establishment of the orchard, ET will be lower than that
of mature, bearing trees. Increase in crop load will generally increase ET.
Citrus water use efficiency (WUE), representing the amount of CO 2 fixed
per amount of water transpired, is rather low compared with that of many
other crop plants. Basic aspects of citrus water relations have been
extensively discussed by Kriedemann and Barrs (1981) and by Jones et al.
(1985). Citrus tree irrigation, including various aspects of irrigation and
salinity, has been reviewed by Shalhevet and Levy (1990).
As early as 1646, Ferrarius noted that citrus trees require abundant
moisture but cannot endure stagnant water. Citrus roots are only slightly
less sensitive to deficient aeration than avocado roots. They seem to be
highly sensitive to hydrogen sulfide, which arises in flooded soils due to
the activities of sulfur-fixing bacteria.
While Citrus is considered a typical mesophyte, the leaves have many
xeromorphic characteristics. The adaxial epidermis is covered by a thick,
waxy cuticle. The rigid leaf shows wilting only at low leaf water potentials.
Osmotic potential rarely rises over —10 bars, even in a relatively turgid
leaf. Under favorable conditions, high transpiration rates are observed,
while transpiration is limited under unfavorable edaphic and atmospheric
moisture conditions. Under high evaporation demand stomata generally
close. Stomata are much more abundant on the lower leaf surface than on
the adaxial surface (800 mm~ 2 versus 40 mm~ 2 ). The high stomatal
density predisposes citrus toward potentially high transpiration, but the
network of first and second order leaf veins is relatively sparse. Leaf life is
usually between nine and 24 months. The largest leaf drop occurs
immediately after blossoming. Hilgeman et al. (1969) stated that apparent
transpiration and water stress of orange trees in summer was similar in
Arizona and Florida. Evaporative demand was much higher in the
desertic environment of Arizona.
Girton (1927) found the minimum temperature for root development to
be I2°C, the optimum to be 26°C, and maximum to be 37°C. The
decreased water absorption at low root temperatures is due mainly to a
decrease in permeability of root membranes and an increase in the
viscosity of water (Figure 5.1). Feeder roots are sparse in Poncirus, and
rather abundant in Rough lemon.
Castle (1980) noted that the shallow suberized root system was gener-
ally equipped with only vestigial root hairs. Root hydraulic conductivity
in citrus is relatively low. Hydraulic conductivity increases with higher
root temperature (Syvertsen, 1981).
CITRUS IRRIGATION AND WATER USE
'§300
i
1200 RESISTANCE
100 VISCOSITY
>
cc
K) 20 30
ROOT TEMPERATURE (°C)
Figure 5.1 Effect of temperature on flow of water through lemon roots.
After Ramos and Kaufmann (1979)
132 ASPECTS OF CULTIVATED CITRUS
I I
120
WET PLOT
r ^
^100
I V
2 -n—C>—o— y
DRY PLOT
> 80 —
t—
OC
-
60 I i i -
AUG SEP OCT NOV
Figure 5.2 Effect of irrigation on the growth of Valencia oranges. From
Hilgeman and Van Horn (1954). Courtesy of Arizona Agricultural Experi-
ment Station
CITRUS IRRIGATION AND WATER USE 133
Scheduling irrigations
The total seasonal amount of irrigation water needed by a mature orchard
for optimum yields depends on the daily course of evapotranspiration,
rainfall distribution, the stionic (scion/stock) combination, water quality
and soil factors.
In many cases a simple calendar schedule of irrigation, without regard
to seasonal requirements, is being followed, mainly because of water
rights. However, less water may be required in the spring and fall than
during summer. On the other hand, spring applications may often prove
crucial because of hot spells during fruit set and the 'June drop' period.
Of the physiological indicators proposed, fruit growth seems to be of
greatest interest (Furr and Taylor, 1939). It applies only to fruiting trees
and, moreover, fruit growth does not proceed uniformly during the
season. Fruit volume increase was found to show correlation with stoma-
tal aperture (Oppenheimer and Elze, 1941), leaf water potential (Ashi-
zawa et aL, 1981), and, most significantly, with soil suction (Lombard et
fl/., 1965).
Further physiological indicators tested, mainly for research purposes,
include leaf water potential (Kaufmann, 1968), intact leaf moisture level
(Peynado and Young, 1968), trunk growth (Hilgeman, 1963) and sap
velocity (Cohen et ai, 1981). Determining irrigation need by use of
tensiometer instruments is practiced by many growers and researchers.
Tensiometer measurements register the soil water potential, a function of
soil water content in the root zone at the location placed. When correlated
with tree performance (including fruit growth), tensiometer measure-
ments serve as a guide for determining the timing of irrigation (Marsh,
1973). Placing tensiometers in pairs at two depths is common practice.
Results are expressed as soil suction (in centibars). Figure 5.3 shows the
correlations between soil suction values and fruit growth, measured by
fruit circumference. The use of the neutron scattering method to measure
soil water content has been limited essentially to research purposes.
Another method employed for determining irrigation timing and
amount is the measurement of Class A pan evaporation, and conversion to
ET through the use of an empirical crop coefficient. Van Bavel et al. (1967)
estimated a crop coefficient value of 0.66 in fruit-bearing orange orchards.
Shalhevet and Bielorai (1978) gave an estimate of 0.6 for grapefruit for the
ratio of ET to Class A pan evaporation for optimum yield.
The ratio between evapotranspiration (ET) and evaporation from a
134 ASPECTS OF CULTIVATED CITRUS
free water surface (Eo) has been defined by Penman (1948) as the crop
factor if). The relationship ET = fE0 then serves as a base for irriga-
tion scheduling. E o can be derived either from meteorological data or
empirically by measuring evaporation from a Class A pan (Ep). Crop
factor if) was rated as 0.68 in Israel and 0.93 in Arizona. ET values of
85 ha-cm y~ l for orange have been reported, compared with values of E0of
157 ha-cm y" 1 , with most of the difference attributed to canopy resistance
(Stanhill, 1972). Some use the simpler pan coefficient, K p .K p values for
the orchards in Israel and Arizona were 0.54 and 0.66 respectively, as
E o = 0.8 E p (Kriedemann and Barrs, 1981). The crop factor will vary
throughout the season. It seems that citrus orchards transpire less water
per unit land surface than many agricultural crops. This can be perhaps
attributed to the high gaseous diffusive resistance in leaves, possibly
coupled with the relatively low hydraulic conductivity in the tree's
vascular system.
1—r 1—r
0.8
NAVEL ORANGES
tensiometers at 36"
G0.6
E
E
0.A
LEMONS
tensiometers at
£0.2
0 20 40 60 80
SOIL SUCTION (centibar)
Figure 5.3 Effect of soil suction on fruit growth rate. After Beutel (1964)
CITRUS IRRIGATION AND WATER USE 135
Harding et al. (1956) first described severe damage to leaves in the skirt of
citrus trees of under-tree sprinkler irrigated orchards, even when the
irrigation used water of good quality (2—3.3 Mm~ 3 Cl~). Citrus leaves
accumulate Cl~ and Na+ from direct contact with water drops. Ac-
cumulation is a function of evaporation rate, resulting in increased salt
concentration in the water film on the leaves. Washington Navel orange
accumulates salts faster through the leaves than does the less salt tolerant
avocado. Changes in overhead sprinkler irrigation from daytime to
nighttime, or changing to under-tree irrigation significantly reduced foliar
concentration of Cl~.
Salinity
Salinity problems develop most often in arid and semi-arid regions when
the amount of water applied is insufficient to result in adequate leaching.
Citrus ranks among salt-sensitive plants (Bielorai et al., 1988; Alva and
Syvertsen, 1991). As early as 1900 (Loughridge) it was noted that the
various citrus species are extremely sensitive to chlorides. NaCl is an
important constituent in many soils, and in irrigation water in various
semi-arid regions where citrus is grown. It seems that when the dominant
anion in the soil solution is Cl~ and the rootstock readily absorbs this
anion its toxicity may overshadow the total salt effect. Response of Marsh
grapefruit on sour orange rootstock was postulated by Bielorai et al. (1978)
to be dominated by the total salt (osmotic) effect, chloride being the
dominant anion in the irrigation water, with relatively low leaf accumula-
tion of Cl~.
Citrus trees injured by sodium salts are highly susceptible to adverse
climatic conditions. Visible symptoms of salt injury (chloride effect) show
tip yellowing followed by tip burn. Progressive yellowing and necrosis
proceed downward.
Mechanism
Salt tolerance in a range of crop plants is associated with salt exclusion,
the ability to restrict and uptake and/or transport salt between roots
and shoots (Levitt, 1980). Rangpur lime was shown to exclude Cl~ from
shoots, not by sequestering it in roots, but by restricting its entry into and
SALINITY I37
Table 5.2 Cl~, Na+ and K+ concentrations in leaves, stems and roots of Rangpur lime,
sweet orange and Poncirus trifoliata plants treated with 50 mM NaClfor six weeks
within the roots. Root membranes seem implicated (Walker and Douglas,
1983). The regulation of Na+ distribution in Poncirus trifoliata has been
shown to be independent of the mechanism regulating Cl~ distribution
(Table 5.2). Na+ seems to accumulate preferentially in basal segments
(Grieve and Walker, 1983).
Rootstock Cultivar
Cl Na+
Sour orange
4 r-
VorieTy Soli Control
Minneolo • 0
Shamouti A.
3 r-
Rangpur lime
12 20 28 36 12 20 28 36
MONTHS
Figure 5.4 Leaf Ch and Na+ content of two cultivars (Minneola
tangelo and Shamouti orange) budded on Rangpur lime and sour
orange. Control irrigated with 250-300 mg Ch M ; salt treatment with
up to 3000 mg Ch h 1 . Adapted from Vardi et al. (1988)
140 ASPECTS OF CULTIVATED CITRUS
100 -
90 -
^
80 -
YIELD
70
UJ
REL Am
60
50
40 -
Mineral nutrition
N Structural component of proteins Uniformly light green to yellowish green leaves; often reduced growth,
nucleic acids and chlorophyll decreased flowering and fruiting
Part of nucleoproteins and Mostly not clearly manifested; leaf symptoms as in N deficiency; lusterless,
phospholipids; involved in high bronze leaves; sometimes excessive abscission of leaves; more acid fruit
energy processes
K Involved in carbohydrate Mainly fruit symptoms; smaller fruit, peel thin, creasing. Sometimes
metabolism; acts as an osmoticum; smaller leaf, curling
involved in stomata closure
Mg Constituent of chlorophyll molecule; Yellow blotches along midrib on mature leaves, till the pattern covers most
enzyme activator of the leaf, apart from a characteristic delta shaped dark green area at
the base
Zn Involved in synthesis of the auxin Chlorotic pattern on new growth; considerably smaller leaves, short
IAA; chloroplast development internodes; in interveinal area characteristic light green to yellow mottle
against dark green background
Mn Involved in the splitting of water in Light green mottle in areas of leaf; band along midrib, major veins green;
light reactions; enzyme activator less sharply defined chlorosis than Fe deficiency
Fe Involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis; Chlorotic leaf pattern, first on young leaves; leaves light green, cream or
enzyme activator yellow apart from fine network of midrib and veins, remaining green
Cu Involved in oxidation-reduction Enlarged dark leaves on willowy branches; brownish gum between bark
systems; ascorbic acid oxidase, and wood; dieback of twigs from tip; corky lesions on fruit peel
polyphenol oxidase
B Involved in pollination and Small, hard, misshapen fruit; thick peel; pockets of brownish gum in peel
fertilization; carbohydrate and core
metabolism
Mo Part of NO 3 and NO 2 reducing Large interveinal yellow spots on older leaves (both surfaces); gum in
system chlorotic areas or underside of leaf
Table 5.6 Mineral composition of tree parts of Marsh Seedless grapefruit
N P K Ca Mg
% in dry %of % in dry % of % in dry %of % in dry %of % in dry %of
matter total matter total matter total matter total matter total
Leaves 2.41 17.80 0.14 8.32 2.46 19.40 2.84 12.90 0.14 10.25
Immature fruits 1.56 5-72 0.18 5.00 1.80 7-05 0.21 0.41 0.11 4.17
Spring growth 1.18 1.32 0.17 1.67 1.63 1.89 i-79 1.23 0.11 2.08
Limbs up to V2 inch diameter 0.67 4.41 0.09 5.00 0.66 4.71 1.72 6-95 0.06 4.17
Limbs 1/2-21/2 inches diameter 0.41 6.61 0.05 6.67 0.46 8.04 1.13 11.30 0.05 8.34
Old limbs 0.38 14.52 0.04 11.65 0.40 16.26 1.26 29.70 0.07 25.00
Trunk 0.47 6.61 0.05 5.00 0.38 5.68 r
-35 11.58 0.08 10.25
Fibrous roots 1.02 20.24 0.21 31.70 23.60 0.43 5-2i 0.10 18.80
Large roots 0.87 22.66 0.13 25-5° 0.46 12.78 1.29 20.75 0.07 16.65
Table 5.7 Leaf analysis standards for citrus in Florida (4-6-month-old leaves on
nonfruiting terminals)
twigs from at least 20 trees. Leaf analysis standards for citrus based on 4—
6-month-old spring cycle leaves from nonfruiting terminals are shown in
Table 5.7
As enzyme activity may bear a relation to the levels of mineral nutrients,
the use of enzyme activity has been suggested as a measure of the adequacy
(and deficiency) of the levels of certain elements. This approach is already
in use for diagnosing Fe and Mn deficiency; peroxidase enzyme activity is
lowered below normal by Fe deficiency, while it is increased with Mn
deficiency (Bar-Akiva, 1961). A similar approach is being investigated
with nitrate reductase (for N) (Bar-Akiva and Sternbaum, 1965), ascorbic
acid oxidase (for Cu) and carbonic anhydrase (for Zn). Estimation of leaf
nitrates, besides being simpler than N determination, has also proven
highly indicative in some cases (Bar-Akiva, 1974).
A special statistical method called DRIS (diagnosis and recommenda-
tion integrated system) (Davee etal., 1986; Beverly etai, 1984) is also used
for evaluating leaf analysis results in order to formulate fertilizer
recommendations. It takes into account relations between different ele-
ments, allowing determination of the nutrient or nutrients that are the
limiting factor.
- -
|2.8 — -
- \r
•o
\
"S2.6
1
^2.2
\ ;
i i i i 1 1 1 1 1 1 I \ '
A 6 8 10 12
LEAF AGE (months)
Figure 5.6 Influence of age of orange leaves on concentrations of
nitrogen in leaves from nonfruiting terminals. From Reuther, Walter,
eel. (1973). The Citrus Industry, Vol 3. Berkeley, University of Califor-
nia, Division of Agricultural Sciences, Publication 4014. Reproduced
with permission
I48 ASPECTS OF CULTIVATED CITRUS
Process Principal endogenous system Growth regulator treatments Alternative agrotechnical treatments
involved
Vegetative shoot Gibberellins, auxins Paclobutrazol and other growth Root restriction, dwarfing stock/scion
growth retardants ( —) combinations
Flowering Gibberellins Paclobutrazol ( + ) Drought stress, girdling
Gibberellin A 3 ( - )
Fruit set Gibberellins Gibberellin A3 ( + )2 Girdling
Fruit thinning Ethylene/auxin Synthetic auxins,1-2 ethephon Manual thinning
(+ )
.
Fruit growth Gibberellins, auxin Synthetic auxins ( + ) 2 Fruit thinning, girdling, potassium sprays
Creasing of fruit Gibberellins 2
Potassium sprays
peel Gibberellin A3 ( - )
Fruit splitting Potassium sprays, reduced irrigation during
Synthetic auxins ( —) pulp growth
Preharvest fruit Ethylene/auxin
abscission Synthetic auxins (~) 2
Fruit peel Ethylene/gibberellins, Ethylene ( + )2>3
coloration cytokinins Gibberellin A? ( - ) 2 Heavy nitrogen fertilization
Fruit button (calyx) Ethylene/auxin Synthetic auxins ( —) 2>3
abscission
Fruit peel viability Gibberellins, cytokinins/ Gibberellin A3 ( + )2,3
ethylene
1
Acting as inducers of ethylene production by plant tissues (Hirose, 1982).
2
Widely recommended treatment.
3
Used mainly postharvest.
(+) = promotion; ( —) = inhibition.
I52 ASPECTS OF CULTIVATED CITRUS
growing trees are less cold hardy than non-growing ones, with cold
hardiness usually greater in midwinter than in fall or spring. Citrus trees
generally stop growing at air temperatures below I2°C. Cessation of
growth during late fall and winter aids in predisposing citrus trees to
becoming cold-hardened. NMR analysis showed cold-hardened Satsuma
leaves to have a higher percentage of unfrozen water than nonhardened
leaves during freezes (Yelenosky, 1985). Poncirus rootstock contributes to
hardiness in the scion (Satsuma on Poncirus trifoliata has very high cold
tolerance). For breeding for improved cold hardiness see Chapter 6.
Natural mechanisms protecting against freeze damage have evolved in
citrus, contributing to survival during severe freezes. Adaptive physio-
logical and metabolic changes are involved, resulting in different cellular
composition and physical relationships.
Citrus cold hardening is highly influenced by temperature. Light is also
an important factor, as well as water relations and anatomical differences.
Prehardening low temperatures cause an increase in solute accumulation
and decreased water uptake. Bud dormancy inducing temperatures have
been studied by Young (1969). Though all of the major categories of
plant components have been implicated in cold hardness in citrus, lipid
metabolism is particularly involved in adaptation to the environment and
in the function of plant membranes. Increases in linoleic acid as well as in
the triglyceride level have been noted in cold-hardened citrus (Nordby
and Yelenosky, 1982).
Yelenosky (1985) envisages a three-stage process.
1 Predisposition by good tree health.
2 Prehardening induced by cool, nonfreezing temperatures.
3 Actual cold hardening by cellular responses to cooler
temperatures, depending on genetic traits.
Water in plant tissues remains in a liquid state at temperatures sometimes
well below o°C in the absence of a catalyst for ice formation. The
phenomenon has also been referred to as supercooling, constituting an
effective freeze avoidance adaptation in plant tissues (Levitt, 1980a). The
inherent ability to supercool is a main contributor to the avoidance of
major freezing effects in many citrus areas. Most citrus species rarely
supercool below — io°C, while Poncirus may supercool at appreciably
lower temperatures (Yelenosky, 1985). Anderson et al. (1983) found that
Satsuma leaves tolerate — io°C, foliage of lemon and lime was killed at
—4°C, with sweet orange and grapefruit intermediate. Differences in
hardiness were explained by the amount of frozen water tolerated at the
killing temperature. Reduced ice formation could not be attributed to
osmotic effects.
154 ASPECTS OF CULTIVATED CITRUS
These changes are not always easy. Mineral oils, for instance, are
highly selective and are therefore recommended for the control of citrus
scale insects (Riehl, 1990). However, their effective use requires complete
coverage of the trees and careful timing of applications, and may be
problematic when several species infest the same grove. Also, mineral oils
may retard the development of yellow fruit color in early-ripening citrus
varieties, and may cause severe injury, including defoliation and fruit
drop, to some sensitive varieties during the summer. Citrus growers often
turn to supposedly more effective, but certainly less selective, organo-
phosphorus and carbamate pesticides.
Some of the new insect growth regulators appear to be highly effective
against scale insects but rather harmless to their parasitoids (Darvas and
Varjas, 1990). However, even a broad-spectrum pesticide may be applied
in ways that would render it ecologically selective. The use of the
organophosphorus pesticide malathion in bait sprays against the Medi-
terranean fruit fly may serve as a good example. Aerial strip sprays of very
small amounts - one liter per hectare - of poison bait, containing protein
hydrolysates as a powerful attractant for female flies and malathion as a
BIOTIC STRESS: PESTS 163
capitata, in Israel, the citrus thrips, Scirtothrips citri, in California and the
citrus leaf miner, Phyllocnistis citrella, in India. Until such enemies are
discovered and put to use, chemical pesticides or some other means of
control will continue to be required (Rosen, 1986, 1990).
Integrated pest m a n a g e m e n t
Integrated pest management (IPM) provides a reasonable compromise,
taking into account the desirability of biological control as well as the
continuing need for some form of chemical control. IPM is the art of
the possible. It represents a holistic approach, recognizing the unity of the
agro-ecosystem and harmonizing all available methods to attain optimal
pest control and environmental quality. In principle, effective IPM may
be achieved by judicious use of relatively selective pesticides, only when
absolutely necessary and in the least disruptive modes of application, in
combination with a vigorous program of applied biological control. Other
selective alternatives may be incorporated whenever applicable, but
biological control by natural enemies should always be a major com-
ponent (Rosen, 1986; DeBach and Rosen, 1991).
Substitution of broad-spectrum pesticides with selective ones, such as
mineral oils or insect growth regulators, is an essential step towards the
development of IPM. Adoption of selective modes of pesticide applica-
tion, such as bait sprays, is another important step that should be taken
whenever feasible. Most importantly, using chemical pesticides 'only
when absolutely necessary' requires the establishment of reliable econ-
omic thresholds and accurate monitoring systems for all actual and
potential pests occurring in the citrus agro-ecosystem. Other selective
tactics - cultural, mechanical, physical and autocidal controls - would
also tend to conserve existing natural enemies, and should be ac-
companied by importation of exotic species and, whenever necessary, also
by augmentative releases of natural enemies. Special emphasis should be
placed on inherently integrative approaches, such as breeding of
pesticide-resistant natural enemies (e.g. Spollen et aL, 1994; Havron and
Rosen, 1994).
Successful biological control projects have been the backbone of IPM
programs on citrus worldwide. Following early successes in the control of
the cottony cushion scale and citriculus mealybug by introduced natural
enemies, the modern program in Israel began with the importation of
Aphytis holoxanthus DeBach (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) against the
Florida red scale in the 1950s, and modification of chemical control
practices in order to conserve this effective natural enemy. Ultra-low-
volume aerial bait sprays have been used against the Mediterranean fruit
DISEASES 167
fly, and selective acaricides have replaced sulfur preparations for the
control of mites. Further developments have included effective biological
control of the Mediterranean black scale, the citrus whitefly and the
bayberry whitefly, importation of natural enemies against several other
pests, control of the citrus flower moth by pheromone mass-trapping,
postharvest treatment of citrus fruit to remove scale insects and sooty
mold by high-pressure rinsing, refinement of the supervised control
system, and selection of Aphytis species for resistance to pesticides. As a
result of these concerted efforts, a viable IPM program has been im-
plemented, whereby only about 10% of the citrus acreage of Israel is
currently still subject to non-selective pesticide applications (Rosen, 1980;
Rossler and Rosen, 1990). Similar programs have been implemented in
California, South Africa and elsewhere (DeBach and Rosen, 1991).
Success in IPM is obviously dependent on a thorough understanding of
the citrus agro-ecosystem, including the biosystematics, biology and
population dynamics of all pests and their natural enemies. Effective
extension services are invaluable to the implementation of IPM.
Diseases
Citrus is subject to numerous diseases, some of which occur only in certain
environments, while others, like Phytophthora, pose a serious problem in all
citrus-growing areas. The common diseases, including postharvest fungal
diseases, are listed in Table 5.11.
Fungal diseases
MAL SECCO
This disease is confined to the Mediterranean Basin, around the Black Sea
and Asia Minor. It is most severe on lemon and citron, and also affects
mandarins and their hybrids. The typical symptom in the canopy is veinal
chlorosis. Leaves wilt and dry. Most infections occur through wounds in
the branches and leaves. The fungus reaches the lumina of xylem vessels
from which it spreads systemically and mostly upward. By peeling off the
bark, red or orange coloration of the xylem is revealed. Infection may also
occur via roots. A serological procedure for detection has been developed.
The causal organism is Phoma tracheiphila. Black pycindia with a neck are
produced on branches under the epidermis. The optimum temperature
for growth is around 2O°C. Infections occur in winter, as splashing
raindrops disseminate the conidia. Some Italian lemon varieties are
168 ASPECTS OF CULTIVATED CITRUS
Bacterial diseases
Blast and black pit Pseudomonas syringae
Canker Xanthomonas campestris cv. citri
Greening Phloem limited bacterium
cvc Xylella fastidiosa
resistant, but the quality of their fruit is inferior. Vigorous growth and
overhead irrigation accelerate development of the disease. Pruning out
diseased shoots may limit the spread of the disease, as will windbreaks and
antihail nets. Spraying the canopy from autumn until early spring with
copper or benzimidazole fungicides protects the canopy from infection.
PHYTOPHTHORA-INDUCED DISEASES
Phytophthora spp. cause the most serious soilborne diseases. They are of
worldwide distribution. Losses are heavy in nurseries (damping-off), in
the orchard (foot rot gummosis) and on the fruits (brown rot).
Foot rot is caused by an injury to bark on the trunk or roots. Gummosis
is the rotting of bark on the tree. The fungus grows in the cambium.
Necrosis, commonly accompanied by abundant gum exudation, follows.
Sometimes the gummosis occurs as foot rot, attacking the base of the trunk
under the soil. Phytophthora can also cause a decay of feeder roots on
susceptible rootstocks. Brown rot is a brown-colored decay of fruit,
especially fruit near the ground that is splashed with soil. The most
common and important Phytophthora spp. attacking citrus are P. nicotiana
var. parasitica and P. citrophthora. P. citrophthora attacks aerial parts more
frequently than P. nicotiana var. parasitica. Temperatures suitable for
mycelial growth are lower for P. citrophthora (i3-28°C) than for P.
parasitica (30-32 °C). Phytophthora spp. are endemic in the soil of orchards.
Infection of suberized tree trunks requires wounds or cracks. Severe
outbreaks usually follow periods of rainy weather. While most citrus scion
cultivars are moderately to highly susceptible to bark infection, large
differences in tolerance to Phytophthora are evident in rootstocks. Trifoliate
orange (Poncirus trifoliata) is nearly immune. Citrumelo, and to a lesser
extent Cleopatra, mandarin and sour orange are quite resistant. Sweet
orange and some sources of Rough lemon are highly susceptible. Budding
the trees well above the soil line, and maintaining the area under the tree
dry and free of weeds and debris is of importance. Some chemicals and
trunk sprays are used, mainly as complementary measures.
SCAB
Three different pathogens in the genera Elsinoe and Sphaceloma cause scab
on citrus. The most widespread of these is E.fawcetii. Scab occurs in areas
with summer rainfall; it has not been found in California and in most of
the Mediterranean sea. Infection is followed by protuberances on the leaf
and distortion of shoot apices. On very young fruit the infection causes
warty outgrowths, with less raised pustules on grapefruit and sweet
orange. During later infection, pustules are slightly raised and may
coalesce into scabby areas and cause subsequent fruit cracking (about 2.5
170 ASPECTS OF CULTIVATED CITRUS
Bacterial diseases
CANKER
Canker disease is caused by several strains of the bacterium Xanthomonas
campestris pv. dtri. The asiatic form, canker A, is the most widespread and
severe form. Canker originated in South East Asia. It occurs also in some
Pacific and Indian Ocean islands and in some South American countries.
Canker is spread by wind and rain. Frequent rainfalls during early shoot
growth and fruit development augment its severity. It causes leaf spots
and blemishes on the rind of the fruit. In severe cases, leaf and fruit drop
follow. Grapefruit and pummelo are highly susceptible, lemon and orange
moderately susceptible. On the leaves a yellow halo surrounds the lesions.
A more reliable symptom is the water-soaked margin which develops
around the necrotic tissue. The most critical period for infection is up to 90
days after petal fall. Rigid restrictions on the importation of propagating
material and of fruit from diseased areas have kept many areas free of the
disease. Windbreaks and nets are used in Japan to limit the severity of the
disease. Several copper sprays are given to protect the fruits, and, in some
countries, a prebloom spray is also applied.
GREENING
Greening is a very dangerous and highly destructive disease. It probably
originated in China and is now known to be caused by a phloem-limited
gram negative bacterium. The disease seriously affects yields in South
East Asia, India, the Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia and Africa (except
DISEASES 171
the North African citrus-growing area). Trees infected when young often
do not bear, while older bearing trees become nonproductive. The disease
is called yellow shoot in China, leaf mottling in the Philippines and vein
phloem degeneration in Indonesia.
The African form induces symptoms under cooler conditions than the
Asian form (up to 32°C). Most citrus cultivars, especially sweet oranges
and mandarins, are severely affected. Leaves develop vein chlorosis, are
small and symptoms recall zinc deficiency symptoms. Fruits on infected
trees are small and poorly colored, hence the name of greening. The juice
is low in sugar, and high in acids and bitterness. The causal agent is an
endocellular gram negative bacterium with a three-layer envelope of cell
wall, about 25 nm thick.
The greening agent can be graft transmitted, but transmission rates are
irregular. Most natural spread occurs in late spring when vector popula-
tions are high. Two psyllids, Trioza erytreae (in Africa) and Diaphorina citri
(in Asia), have been identified as vectors.
For identification, indexing is used, while electron microscopy and
recently, DNA probes, are used for final positive identification. Gentisoyl
glucoside, a fluorescent marker has been used for rapid detection.
When greening is endemic, control includes reduction of inoculum, and
less often insecticides. Greening is suppressed by tree injection with
tetracyclines. Bud wood sources can be freed of greening by thermo-
therapy and shoot tip grafting.
A bacterial disease (CVC), which also causes limb dieback, has been
identified in South America. It appears to be caused by the xylem-limited
bacterium Xylella fastidiosa (Lee et ai 1991).
the rootstock and decline. In such trees, pinhole pitting often occurs at the
inner face of the bark of the rootstocks. Severe stem pitting strains can
seriously affect sweet oranges, grapefruit and mandarins on any rootstock.
Some isolates cause stunting and chlorosis on sour orange, lemon and
grapefruit seedlings. This reaction is called seedling yellows.
CTV is a member of the closterovirus group. The long flexuous
particles contain single-stranded RNA with a molecular weight of about
6.5 X io 6 . The viral coat protein has a molecular weight of 26000.
Biological identification of the disease is by grafting indicator seedlings of
Mexican lime and observing for symptoms. Rapid identification can be
achieved by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). CTV is
readily graft transmitted via a union between donor and receptor. Long
distance spread of CTV has been due to propagation from infected buds.
CTV is also transmitted by aphids. Toxoptera citricida is a most efficient
vector, not yet present in North America and the Mediterranean. Aphis
gossypii is a less efficient vector, and is less abundant on citrus than T.
citricida. Additional vectors may also play a part in transmission. Natural
spread has been slower in desert areas. CTV is not seed transmitted.
Epidemics developed and caused considerable damage mainly on budded
plants with sour orange as a rootstock, with vectors present and under
conditions favorable for transmission. Quarantines, budwood certifica-
tion and eradication have been implemented in many cases for the
prevention and suppression of tristeza. Declining orchards are usually
replanted on CTV-tolerant rootstocks. Employing such rootstocks will
usually require the use of exocortis-free budwood, and may complicate the
situation concerning blight, Phytophthora and lime induced chlorosis.
Control of CTV-induced stem pitting is difficult, especially when severe
isolates are endemic. A solution adopted for protecting susceptible
cultivars by deliberate infection with mild strains is employed on a large
scale with Pera orange in Brazil, citrus in South Africa and grapefruit in
Australia. Experiments are under way with coat protein mediated cross
protection in order to protect susceptible combinations from severe
decline. Coat protein mediated resistance (CP-MR) has been successfully
employed in herbaceous crops. As several research groups have charac-
terized different strains of CTV and the gene encoding the coat protein
has been cloned and sequenced (Sekiya et aL 1991), it is expected that
transgenic citrus plants expressing the CP gene of one or several viruses
will be developed.
PSOROSIS
Psorosis is a complex of several diseases. The causal agent has not been
identified but is presumed to be a virus. Recently, a two component RNA
DISEASES 173
virus, the citrus ringspot virus (CRSV) has been implicated in the etiology
of psorosis in Florida. Psorosis is present in old line trees in many citrus-
growing areas. The bark-scaling form causes tree weakening and decline.
Other forms, less detrimental, cause yield loss. The incidence of psorosis
has been much reduced by using virus-free budwood. Psorosis B, concave
gum, cristacortis and impietratura have somewhat similar symptoms to
psorosis, mainly in the leaves of certain sweet orange or sour orange
varieties. Symptoms are most evident in young leaves on spring or fall
flushes; they include chlorotic flecks vein banding and leaf mottling.
Scaling and flaking of the bark on trunks and limbs is also produced. The
disease agent is readily graft transmitted. Identification is made after graft
inoculation of sweet orange or mandarin seedlings. Certified budwood
and nucellar clones have been instrumental in eliminating psorosis.
Recently, thermotherapy and shoot tip grafting have been employed to
eliminate the disease from budwood sources.
STUBBORN
Stubborn was originally considered to be a virus, but it was found to be
caused by a mollicute named Spiroplasma citri. Stubborn is an important
disease in hot and arid growing areas, like California, the eastern Mediter-
ranean, the Middle East and North Africa. It is called 'little leaf in Israel.
Stubborn affects many hosts; all of them except those in Rutaceae and
Rosaceae are herbaceous. Oranges, grapefruit, mandarins are highly
sensitive. It is rarely lethal in citrus; however, young trees become
severely stunted, with shortened internodes, upright foliage, and cupped
and chlorotic or mottled leaves. Yield is adversely affected, the fruit is
small, lopsided and poorly colored. When mature trees are infected, the
symptoms are less striking.
Stubborn can be graft transmitted, but not all bud progeny from
infected trees manifest the disease. The disease is spread naturally by
leafhoppers. Apparently primary citrus infections result by dispersal of
vectors carrying S. citri from herbaceous hosts. Vector populations vary
from year to year. Natural spread is often rapid in young orchards. The
most rapid diagnostic method now used involves culturing on artificial
media and identification by microscopy or serology.
In areas where stubborn or the vectors are not endemic, control by using
disease-free budwood can be effective. In other cases, control is difficult.
Budwood sources can be rendered free of stubborn by shoot-tip grafting.
EXOCORTIS
The citrus exocortis viroid (CEV) causes tree stunting and bark scaling.
The viroid is readily graft transmitted, and has been disseminated by
174 ASPECTS OF CULTIVATED CITRUS
Nematodes
Nematodes attacking citrus are small cylindrical nonsegmented worms,
usually 0.4— 1.0 mm long. The most widely occurring species is Tylenchulus
semipenetrans Cobb. Another nematode of importance, causing decline,
Radopholus citrophilus, has been reported only in Florida.
Low productivity of trees caused by large populations of the citrus
nematode, Tylenchulus semipenetrans, feeding on the roots is often designated
as 'slow decline'. Tree vigor is often reduced. Trees may also show leaf
yellowing, sparse foliage and small fruit. The degree of damage caused
depends on the soil, cultural practices and rootstocks. Soil samples are
collected in places with many feeder roots and the female nematode
population density counted. Sedentary females (0.35—0.4 mm long) are
found on the surface of fibrous citrus roots under egg masses in a
gelatinous matrix. They are obligate parasites and reproduction is fac-
ultatively parthenogenetic. So far, four biotypes of the citrus nematode
have been identified. Population densities vary greatly from tree to tree
and from season to season. Development of large populations is usually
faster on fine textured or organic soils. Planting material free of the citrus
nematode delays the development of damaging populations. Fumigation
before planting has been helpful in reducing infestation of replants on old
orchard sites. Rootstocks resistant to the citrus nematode all share Poncirus
trifoliata germplasm. These include Carrizo, Troyer citranges, Swingle
citrumelo and selected Poorman X Poncirus hybrids.
SPREADING DECLINE
Spreading decline is caused by the burrowing nematode Radopholus
citrophilus, an obligate parasite with a wide host range. Spreading decline
occurs only in central Florida on deep well-drained soil. Infested trees may
have 50% fewer functional feeder roots. Under drought conditions trees
may wilt. The number of infested trees increases with time, hence the name
'spreading decline'. Sampling for R. citrophilus is difficult because of the
deep vertical distribution. Optimum temperature for nematode growth
and reproduction is 24°C. Of rootstocks tested, Milam (probably a rough
lemon hybrid) and Carrizo citrange either tolerate the damage or reduce
the nematode population. Some biotypes also affect these rootstocks.
Recommended reading
Baines, R. C , Van Gundy, S. D. and Du Charme, E. P. (1978).
Nematodes attacking Citrus. In The Citrus Industry, Vol. IV, ed. W.
I76 ASPECTS OF CULTIVATED CITRUS
Literature cited
Alva, A. K. and Syvertsen, J. P. (1991). Soil and citrus tree nutrition are
affected by salinized water. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc, 104: 135—8.
Anderson, J. A., Gusta, L. V., Buchanan, D. W. and Burke, M. J.
(1983). Freezing of water in Citrus leaves. J. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci., 108:
397-400.
Arnon, D. I. and Stout, P. R. (1939). Molybdenum as essential element
for higher plants. Plant Physiol. 14: 599-602.
Ashizawa, M., Kondo, G. and Chujo, T. (1981). Effect of soil moisture
on the daily change of fruit size in summer season of Satsuma
mandarin. Kagawa Univ. Faculty Agric. Tech. Bull., 32: 87—94.
Augusti, M . and Almela, V. (1991). Applicacion defitoreguladoresen
citricultura., Spain: Aedis Editoral. 268 pp.
Avidov, Z. and Harpaz, I. (1969). Plant Pests of Israel. Jerusalem: Israel
Universities Press. 549 pp.
Bar-Akiva, A. (1961). Biochemical indications as a means of
distinguishing between iron and manganese deficiencies in citrus
plants. Nature, 190: 647-8.
Bar-Akiva, A. (1974). Nitrate estimation in citrus leaves as a means of
evaluating nitrogen fertilizer requirements in citrus trees. Proc. First Int.
Congr. Citriculture, Vol. 1, ed. O. Carpena, pp. 159-64. Murcia, Spain:
Ministerio de Agricultura, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones
Agrarias.
Bar-Akiva, A. and Sternbaum, J. (1965). Possible use of the nitrate
reductase activity of leaves as a measure on the nitrogen requirements
of citrus trees. Plant Cell Physiol., 6: 575-7.
Barnette, R. M., De Busk, E. F., Hester, J. B. and Jones, H. W. (1931).
The mineral analysis of a nineteen-year-old March Seedless grapefruit
tree. Citrus Industry, 12: 5-6, 34.
Bedford, E. C. G., ed. (1978). Citrus Pests. Science Bulletin 391,
Department of Agricultural Technical Services, Republic of South
Africa. 253 pp.
Bedford, E. C. G. (1990). Mechanical control: high-pressure rinsing of
fruit. In Armored Scale Insects, Their Biology, Natural Enemies and Control,
World Crop Pests, Vol. 4B, ed. D. Rosen, pp. 507-13. Amsterdam:
Elsevier Science Publishers.
Bennett, F. D., Rosen, D., Cochereau, P. and Wood, B. J. (1976).
Biological control of pests of tropical fruits and nuts. In Theory and
Practice of Biological Control, ed. C. B. Huffaker and P. S. Messenger,
pp. 359-65. New York: Academic Press.
Beutel, J. A. (1964). Soil moisture, weather and fruit growth. Calif.
Citrog., 4 9 : 372.
Beverly, R. B., Stark, J. C , Ojala, J. C. and Embleton, T. W. (1984).
Nutrient diagnosis of'Valencia' oranges by DRIS.J. Am. Soc. Hort.
Sci., 109: 649-54.
Bielorai, H., Shalhevet, J. and Levy, Y. (1978). Grapefruit response to
variable salinity in irrigation water and soil. Irrig. Sci., 1: 61-70.
Bielorai, H., Dasberg, S., Erner, Y. and Brum, M. (1982). The effect of
various soil moisture regimes and fertilizers on citrus yield response
under partial wetting of the root zone. In Proc. Int. Soc. Citriculture, ig8i,
I78 ASPECTS OF CULTIVATED CITRUS
leaves monitored by a beta gauge technique. Proc. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci.,
92: 211-20.
Purvis, A. C. (1980). Influence of canopy depth on susceptibility of
'Marsh' grapefruit to chilling injury. HortScience, 15: 731—3.
Quayle, H. J. (1938a). Insects of Citrus and Other Subtropical Fruits. Ithaca,
NY: Comstock. 583 pp.
Quayle, H. J. (1938b). The development of resistance to hydrocyanic
acid in certain scale insects. Hilgardia, 11: 183—210.
Ramos, C. and Kaufmann, M. R. (1979). Hydraulic resistance of rough
lemon roots. Physiol. Plant., 45; 311 —14.
Reuther, W. (1973). The Citrus Industry, Vol. III. Berkeley: University of
California, Division of Agricultural Sciences, Publication 4014.
Reuther, W., Calavan, E. C. and Carman G. E. (eds.) (1989). The Citrus
Industry, Vol. 5, Crop Protection, Post Harvest Technology and Early History of
Citrus Research in California. University of California Division of
Agriculture and Natural Resources. 374 pp.
Rieger, M. (1989). Freeze protection for horticultural crops. Hort. Rev.,
11:45-109.
Riehl, L. A. (1990). Control chemicals. In Armored Scale Insects: Their
Biology, Natural Enemies and Control. World Crop Pests, Vol. 4B, ed. D .
Rosen, pp. 365-92. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science Publishers.
Roessler, Y. (1989). Insecticidal bait and cover sprays. In Fruit Flies:
Their Biology, Natural Enemies and Control. World Crop Pests, Vol. 3B, ed.
A. S. Robinson and G. Hooper, pp. 329—36. Amsterdam: Elsevier
Science Publishers.
Roose, M. L., Cheng, F. S. and Federici (1994). Origin, inheritance and
effects of a dwarfing gene from the citrus rootstock Poncirus trifoliata
'Flying Dragon'. HortScience, 39: 482 (Abstract).
Rosen, D. (1967a). Biological and integrated control of citrus pests in
Israel. J. Econ. Entomol., 60: 1422-7.
Rosen, D. (1967b). Effect of commercial pesticides on the fecundity and
survival ofAphytis holoxanthus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). Isr.J. Agr.
Res., 17: 47-52-
Rosen, D. (1980). Integrated control of citrus pests in Israel. In
Proceedings, International Symposium of IOBC/WPRS on Integrated Control in
Agriculture and Forestry, igyg, pp. 289—92. Vienna.
Rosen, D. (1986). Methodologies and strategies for pest control in
citriculure. In Integrated Pest Control in Citrus-Groves, ed. R. Cavalloro
and E. di Martino, pp. 521—30. Rotterdam: A. A. Balkema.
Rosen, D. (1990). IPM: background and basic methodology. In Armored
Scale Insects: Their Biology, Natural Enemies and Control. World Crop Pests,
Vol. 4B, ed. D. Rosen, pp. 515-17. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science
Publishers.
Rosen, D. and DeBach, P. (1978). Diaspididae. In Introduced Parasites and
Predators of Arthropod Pests and Weeds: A World Review. Agricultural
Handbook 480, ed. C. P. Clausen, pp. 78-128. Washington DC:
Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of
Agriculture.
Rosen, D. and DeBach, P. (1979). Species o/Aphytis of the World.
Jerusalem: Israel Universities Press; The Hague: W. Junk. 801 pp.
Rossler, Y. and Rosen, D. (1990). A case history: IPM on citrus in
Israel. I n Armored Scale Insects, Their Biology, Natural Enemies and Control.
LITERATURE CITED 183
World Crop Pests, Vol. 4B, ed. D. Rosen, pp. 519-26. Amsterdam:
Elsevier Science Publishers.
Sekiya, M. E., Lawrence, S. D., McCaffery, M. and Cline, K. (1991).
Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequencing of the coat protein gene
of citrus tristeza virus. J. Gen. Virol., 72: 1013-20.
Shalhevet, J. and Bielorai, H. (1978). Crop water requirement in relation
to climate and soil. Soil Sci., 125: 240-7.
Shalhevet, J. and Levy, Y. (1990). Citrus trees. In Irrigation of Agricultural
Crops, ed. B. A. Stewart and D. R. Nielson, pp. 951-86. Madison, WI:
Agronomy Monograph No. 30, ASA-CSSA-SSSA.
Singh, S. P. and Rao, N. S. (1980). Relative susceptibilities of different
species/varieties of citrus to leaf miner, Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton. In
Proceedings of the International Society of Citriculture, igj8, ed. P. R. Cary,
pp. 174-7. Griffith, NSW, Australia.
Smajtrla, A. G. (1993). Microirrigation for citrus production in Florida.
HortScience, 28, 2 9 5 - 8 .
Spollen, K. M., Rosenheim, J. A. and Hoy, M. A. (1994). Intraspecific
variation in response to pesticides in Aphytis melinus DeBach from
California citrus: results of natural and artificial selection. In Advances
in the Study of Aphytis (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), ed. D . Rosen, pp. 1 9 0 -
208. Andover, UK: Intercept.
Stanhill, G. (1972). Recent development in water relation studies. Some
examples from Israel citriculture. In Proc. 18th Int. Hort. Congr., Vol. 4,
ed. N. Goren and K. Mendel, pp. 367-79. Tel Aviv, Israel: ISHS and
Ministry of Agriculture.
Sternlicht, M., Goldenberg, S., Nesbitt, B. F., Hall, D. R. and Lester, R.
(1978). Field evaluation of the synthetic female sex pheromone of
citrus flower moth, Prays citri (Mill.) (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae),
and related compounds. Phytoparasitica, 6: 101 —13.
Swietlik and Faust, J. (1984). Foliar nutrition of fruit crops. Hort. Rev., 6:
287-355-
Syvertsen, J. P. (1981). Hydraulic conductivity of four commercial citrus
rootstocks. J. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci., 106: 378-81.
Talhouk, A. S. (1975). Citrus pests throughout the world. In Citrus Technical
Monograph, Vol. 4, ed. E. Hafliger, pp. 21-3. Basel: Ciba-Geigy Agro-
chemicals.
Turrell, F. M. (1973). The science and technology of frost protection. In
The Citrus Industry, Vol. I l l , ed. W. Reuther, pp. 338-446. Berkeley:
Division of Agricultural Sciences, University of California.
Van Bavel, C. H. M., Newman, J. E. and Hilgeman, R. H. (1967).
Climate and the estimated water use by an orange orchard. Agric.
MeteoroL, 4 : 27—37.
Vardi, A., Spiegel-Roy, R., Ben-Hayyim, G., Neumann, H. and Shalhevet,
J. (1988). Response ofShamouti orange and Minneola tangelo on six root-
stocks to salt stress. In Proc. Sixth Int. Citrus Congr., Vol. I, ed. R. Goren
and K. Mendel, Philadelphia/Rehovot: Balaban Publishers. Weiker-
sheim, Germany: Margraf Scientific Books.
Walker, R. R. (1986). Sodium exclusion and potassium-sodium selectivity
in salt-treated trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) and Cleopatra
mandarin (Citrus reticulata) plants. Austr.J. PlantPhysiol., 13:293-
3O3-
Walker, R. R. and Douglas, T. J. (1983). Effect of salinity level on
184 ASPECTS OF CULTIVATED CITRUS
Introduction
M O S T CITRUS CULTIVARS grown arose as chance seedlings or bud
mutations of existing cultivars. A relatively small number of cultivars of
widespread significance have so far originated from breeding programs.
The genetics and breeding of citrus were reviewed by Cameron and Frost
(1967), Cameron and Soost (1969), Soost and Cameron (1975), Vardi
and Spiegel-Roy (1978) and more recently by Soost (1987) and Gmitter et
al. (1992). Citrus cultivars are highly heterozygous (Soost and Cameron
1975). Little information has been obtained on the genetic control of
traits. Leading cultivars represent subtle gene combinations, often of a
highly elevated 'selection plateau'. Such combinations are disrupted by
the sexual process. Many traits are polygenic as to their inheritance, being
controlled by numerous genes. The probability of recombining genes in a
successful hybrid to recreate the essential characters of a leading tra-
ditional cultivar is very low. Citrus breeding is also much hampered by
the highly pronounced juvenility in both sexual and nucellar citrus
seedlings. A further significant barrier to citrus hybridization and easy
transfer of genetic material is the widely encountered apomixis (nucellar
embryony) (Frost and Soost, 1968). The ability to cross within or between
species in which few or no monoembryonic taxa are available — as in the
orange and grapefruit - is highly restricted.
The situation has been somewhat alleviated by the increase in the list of
monoembryonic cultivars produced by breeding; this may improve fur-
ther by the addition of products of somatic hybridization as a result of
protoplast fusion. Because of pronounced juvenility, often marked even
during fruit-bearing age, breeding projects are long term, costly and
require considerable field space. Seedless oranges, grapefruits and now
also seedless mandarins (easy-peeling fruit) are an essential requirement
for the fresh-fruit trade. Producing new seedless fruit cultivars is a
l86 GENETIC IMPROVEMENT IN CITRUS
dicotyledons there are two primary outer layers and one core layer. Citrus,
too, has three histogenic layers.
Chimeras are of interest to the breeder and citrus grower. Useful
characteristics will not be transmitted to the zygotic or nucellar progeny if
a periclinal chimera is involved. Spiegel-Roy (1979) reported that some
trees of Shamouti orange produce nucellar seedlings with Shamouti
characters while others produce nucellar seedlings with characters of
Beledi orange. Shamouti had been known to produce limbs with Beledi
characteristics and its is assumed to have arisen around i860 as a seedless
mutation on a Beledi tree. It seems that Beledi tissue has since been lost in
some sources of Shamouti, but not in others. A number of interesting
chimeras have been described in Satsuma (Nishiura and Iwamasa, 1970).
The non recovery of low-acid individuals in progenies of the acidless
orange when crossed with other acidless cultivars suggests a chimeral
nature for acidless orange cultivars (Cameron and Soost, 1979). Another
source of acidless orange seems to pass on the acidless character to the
progeny (Barrett, 1982).
Color expression in parental clones and derived nucellar seedlings of
grapefruit varieties also clearly indicate the often chimeral nature of
pigmented variants and the fact that nucellar seedlings will maintain the
color factor in the fruit provided layer L II producing the nucellus carries
it (Cameron etaL, 1964; Cameron and Soost, 1969). Possible use of citrus
fruit sector chimeras as a genetic resource for cultivar improvement has
been pointed out by Iwamasa et al. (1978) and Bowman and Gmitter
(I99 1 )-
irradiation and mutation played a part in giving rise to the new cultivar
(Hensz, 1985). Radiosensitivity of different citrus species has been de-
scribed (Spiegel-Roy and Vardi, 1989). Seedless forms of lemon, in one
case from a cultivar bearing 25 seeds per fruit, have been obtained by
bud wood irradiation (Spiegel-Roy et aL, 1985, 1990). A seedless Minneola
tangelo has also been produced (Spiegel-Roy and Vardi, 1989). Seedless
mutants of orange and grapefruit were obtained in Florida (Hearn, 1984,
1986) and of orange in China (Zhou et aL, 1986). Changes in vegetative
characteristics have also been induced by irradiation of lemon fruit with
gamma rays 100-120 days after bloom. Culture of nucelli resulted in the
isolation of two thornless mutants. Production of a low—medium acid,
seedless, early-maturing mutant of Foster grapefruit from irradiated
material has also been reported (Hearn, 1986; Gmitter et aL, 1992).
Lowering acidity in existing cultivars could prove of great value in
grapefruit, in grapefruit and pummelo hybrids, as well as in orange for
industrial purposes.
Current irradiation techniques with fruit trees are based mainly on
Zwintscher's technique, described by Lapins (1983), which aims to
eliminate chimera formation by successive vegetatively propagated clonal
generations from irradiated material.
Sterility as well as chromosome aberrations in natural seedless citrus
cultivars have been described (Iwamasa, 1966; Frost and Soost, 1968).
Anomalous chromosomal separation behaviour was also reported in two
seedless mutants of sweet orange produced by irradiation of seed with
Co 60 gamma rays (Chen Shanchun et aL, 1991). During PMC meiosis,
univalents and polyvalents have been observed at high frequencies in the
two mutants. Assessing seed number provides a simple measure of
estimating ovule fertility. Frost and Soost (1968) point out that while
sterility in Citrus may be in some cases disadvantageous with respect to
yield, it could also offset the effects of excessive fruit set, small fruit and
alternate bearing.
Another possible advantage of induced and natural seedless mutants lies
in the fact that while self-incompatible selections with parthenocarpic tend-
ency will have numerous seeds when pollinated by fertile pollen from other
clones, induced and natural mutants will most often combine pollen and
ovule sterility and remain practically seedless under similar conditions.
Polyploidy
Polyploidy in Citrus has been extensively reviewed by Lee (1988).
Chromosome counts performed in 33 genera of Rutaceae (Guerra, 1984a)
ig2 GENETIC IMPROVEMENT IN CITRUS
Figure 6.2 Leaf and fruit of tetraploid 'Niva' (left) compared with
c\ona\, diploid Niva (right)
194 GENETIC IMPROVEMENT IN CITRUS
Sukega 24.2
Temple 6.8
Clementine 1.0
King 7.0
Wilking 14.0
Fortune 20.0
Lisbon 1.0
Eureka 5°
Poorman 0
Pummelo (CRC 2240) 0-5
Pummelo (CRC 2241) 0
Pummelo O.I
Hybridization
Problems due to heterozygosity, nucellar embryony and the prolonged
juvenile period have been pointed out. Absolute or a high degree of
gametic sterility is encountered in numerous citrus cultivars. The percen-
tage of functional pollen varies among species and cultivars. Some of the
most widely used commercial cultivars are deficient in this respect. Navel
orange produces no viable pollen; Satsuma mandarin and Marsh grape-
fruit very little; lemons and most orange cultivars often have low amounts.
Most cultivars of mandarin and pummelo produce largely functional
pollen. Seedlessness and pollen sterility have been reviewed by Iwamasa
(1966). Cultivars with a problem of non-functional pollen very often show
comparable ovule abortion; though the pollen-sterile Washington Navel
and, more so, Satsuma have some functional ovules. Degeneration before
meiosis is also encountered.
In addition to absolute gametic sterility, self and, to some extent, cross
incompatibility are also present in Citrus. Besides posing a problem for the
breeder this also presents an opportunity for producing seedless cultivars,
provided the parthenocarpic tendency is prominent and no opportunities
for cross-pollination prevail in the citrus grove. Except for a publication
by Soost (1969), little information is available on alleles and inheritance of
self incompatibility in Citrus. Incompatibility is widespread in C. grandis.
Self incompatibility has been also reported in C. limon, C. limettoides and
HYBRIDIZATION 195
pummelo hybrids. Only some of such seedlings have fertile pollen and
ovules. A report on very early flowering of a Poncirus trifoliata seedling and
its nucellar offspring has also been published (Yadav et aL, 1980). A
specific antiserum reacting with an antigenic protein was recovered in
larger quantities in tissues of mature grapefruit than in juvenile plants.
The mature protein, with a molecular weight of c. 59.7 k Da was not found
in other genera related to Citrus. Its content was higher in floral shoots of
precociously flowering Marsh seedlings (Snowball et aL, 1991).
Distant hybridization
Many interspecific crosses have been performed in Citrus. Crosses with
related genera, mainly Poncirus, have been made especially in rootstock
studies and breeding (Swingle and Reece, 1967; Barrett, 1978). Group
names indicating the parentage of interspecific and intergeneric hybrids
have been noted in the literature. The most important of these include
tangelo (tangerine X grapefruit), tangor (tangerine X orange), orangelo
(orange X grapefruit) and citrange (Poncirus X sweet orange).
The scope of crosses between genera is on the increase, in an attempt to
produce novel types of citrus rootstocks and cultivars, and for the future
use of tetraploid products of somaclonal fusion.
Breeding aims
The main breeding aims for scion cultivars vary somewhat with different
species and localities and in response to market trends. Cold tolerance is a
foremost objective in certain environments. Attempts have been made to
incorporate resistance to citrus tristeza virus (Barrett, 1990).
The main goals in scion breeding are the amount and regularity of the
crop, fruit with good size, high quality, attractive appearance and color,
very low seed content and easy peeling, season of ripening, high adapta-
tion to maintenance of fruit on tree, transport and, in many cases storage.
Seedlessness is a prime requirement for fresh fruit. Otherwise high-
quality cultivars or selections with seedy fruit are not accepted in many
markets. The main pathways open at present for the breeder to obtain
high-quality seedless selections are triploidy (though low fruit set is a
problem with many triploids), use of highly parthenocarpic parents such
as Satsuma, as well as exploitation of parthenocarpic tendencies in self-
incompatible selections (Iwamasa and Oba, 1980). The asynapsis re-
ported in inbred Wilking (Vardi and Spiegel-Roy, 1982) points to a
further possibility for breeding seedless fruit. Of great significance is the
observation, induction and exploitation of seedless variants in otherwise
satisfactory, high-quality cultivars and selections.
A special objective of increasing significance is the breeding of
BREEDING AIMS 199
grapefruit cultivars with low levels of acidity and, possibly, less bitterness.
Another objective is the production of sweet oranges with high external
and internal color, not necessarily due to anthocyanins. The extension of
season of maturity by selecting fruit types maturing significantly earlier or
later than existing cultivars is of great interest. This goal can be ap-
proached by hybridization as well as by a search for mutants, and possibly
by mutation breeding.
Cold hardiness
As large areas of citrus have low winter temperatures, several breeding
programs aim to incorporate cold hardiness. This was also the first
objective of USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) breeding
work, initiated at the turn of the twentieth century. Poncirus trifoliata
served as the main source for cold tolerance in crosses with Citrus. Yx
hybrids proved unsuitable as to fruit quality, but yielded at least two very
valuable rootstocks (See Table 5.1). The program was restarted in 1973
(Barrett, 1982). Eremocitrusglauca and Fortunella margarita were also used as
sources of cold hardiness. Fruits of hybrids with Eremocitrus have proved to
be very acid. Fj hybrids with Poncirus also had very acid fruit, often of acrid
flavor. Selections with edible fruit quality, resembling orange, have been
recovered from crosses of selected ¥y of Poncirus trifoliata X C.paradisi to C.
sinensis. One of these, US 119, has been released (Barrett, 1990). It
combines edibility with resistance to freezing and to citrus tristeza virus.
High cold tolerance was found in open-pollinated progeny of pummelo-
trifoliate hybrids (Yelenosky et al.9 1993). Gold hardiness is also a prime
objective in Japan. Poncirus, C.junos, and Troyer citrange have proved to
be the most cold hardy. A seedless selection named Kiyomi, from a
Satsuma X Trovita orange cross, seems as cold hardy as Satsuma. Cold
hardiness is a major breeding requirement for citrus in Russia. The main
2OO GENETIC IMPROVEMENT IN CITRUS
sources used have been Poncirus and Satsuma. C. ichangensis and C. junos
have also been used, and some promising results have been reported
(Soost, 1987). The main problem is the great difficulty in achieving
satisfying fruit quality in progeny of crosses with Poncirus and in some
other combinations. Changsha mandarin, Meyer lemon, Clementine and
Natsudaidai (probably a pummelo hybrid) have also been employed in
USA and Japan as sources of cold resistance. Further valuable sources of
cold tolerance have been identified in China.
GOLD TOLERANCE
Poncirus has been the main source of cold hardiness in rootstock breeding.
Few hybrid rootstocks with Poncirus have equalled its cold hardiness
(Yelenosky, 1985). Other breeding material of interest is: C. junos, C.
ichangensis, Sunki mandarin, Shekwasha (C. depressa Hayata; probably a C.
tachibana hybrid). Further sources of cold tolerance exist in genera other
than Citrus. Somatic hybridization may promote their use.
SALT TOLERANCE
Rangpur lime (C. limonia Osbeck) and Cleopatra mandarins are con-
sidered to be salt-tolerant rootstocks. Reem and Furr (1976) have re-
ported on breeding work for creating new salt-tolerant rootstocks. Some
hybrids of Rangpur and Cleopatra with other Citrus cultivars or with
Poncirus showed as little Cl~ accumulation in the scion as in Cleopatra
mandarin. Vardi et al. (1988) reported on the relative tolerance of
rootstocks grafted with Minneola tangelo and Shamouti orange. Rangpur
and Cleopatra have been shown to be highly tolerant to Cl~ (Grieve and
Walker, 1983; Sykes, 1985). Poncirus transported elevated Cl~, but not
Na+ to the scion. In many cases, high Cl~ and Na + levels in tolerant
selections may be carried to the scion, thus making them unsuited for
imparting salt tolerance to grafted cultivars.
Excellent salt tolerance has been shown by Severinia. High salt tolerance
has also been shown by Sunki mandarin, which is also tolerant to tristeza
virus. Tolerance to calcareous soil is also of importance in certain areas.
No rootstocks have been bred with special tolerance to high soil pH and/
or calcareous soil to replace the tolerant but CTV sensitive sour orange.
Rangpur lime, Cleopatra and Sunki seem promising as parents in breed-
ing for tolerance to highly calcareous soils. A recent report (Sudahono et
al., 1994) deals with the results of screening rootstocks for tolerance to
bicarbonate-induced iron chlorosis.
PESTS, DISEASES, VIRUSES AND NEMATODES
Phytophthora parasitica and P. citrophthora are the causative agents of the
most serious soilborne diseases in Citrus. Foot rot and root rot were
responsible for the introduction of rootstocks and the use of grafted plants
in Citrus during the mid 1800s (Castle, 1987). Rootstocks with good
resistance are Poncirus and Swingle citrumelo (C. paradisi X Poncirus).
Poncirus is widely used as a source of resistance in breeding programs
(Soost, 1987; Spiegel-Roy etai, 1988). Some resistance in C.grandis and C.
aurantifolia and a higher degree in some Citrus relatives has been pointed
out. Variable proportions of the progeny of crosses between Poncirus
and susceptible parents show adequate tolerance. If high tolerance to
2O2 GENETIC IMPROVEMENT IN CITRUS
Citrus was, however, not clearly established. Their origin, as well as the
conditions for the development of embryoids from microspores in the
cases that have been reported, have been described by Hidaka and
Omura (1989). Androgenesis in Citrus has been recently reviewed by
Germana (1994).
CULTURE OF FURTHER CITRUS ORGANS
Stem and leaf explants have occasionally given rise to embryogenic callus
(Grinblat, 1972; Chaturvedi and Mitra, 1974). Recently, juice vesicles of
Satsuma mandarin yielded embryogenic callus (Nito and Iwamasa,
199°)-
ENDOSPERM CULTURE
Triploid hybrid citrus plants were regenerated by somatic embryogenesis
in vitro from endosperm-derived calli. Calli were induced from the cellular
endosperm of C. sinensis, C. paradisi and C. maxima (excised 12—14 weeks
post anthesis). Only sweet orange (C. sinensis) embryos developed and
regenerated plants (Gmitter et al., 1990). Triploid plantlets have also been
previously reported from endosperm of C. maxima and C. sinensis (Wang
and Chang, 1978).
SHOOT TIP GRAFTING
In vitro recovery of nucellar plants from monoembryonic cultivars of C.
reticulata was first reported in 1969 (Rangan et al., 1969). Plants of nucellar
origin from the monoembryonic Clementine mandarin showed significant
phenotypic variation (Juarez et al., 1976).
The in vitro shoot-tip grafting method (Navarro et al., 1975) provides a
generally dependable procedure of obtaining true-to-type, virus-free ma-
terial from established clones, including monoembryonic cultivars. Its
developments and use have been reviewed by Navarro (1982).
1982) and Trovita orange (Kobayashi, 1987) have set fruit remarkably
similar to the fruit of the plants from which the protoplasts were originally
derived (see Figure 6.3).
Recent advances in protoplast culture of citrus have been reviewed by
Vardi and Galun (1988) and Grosser and Gmitter (1990).
Somatic embryogenesis of 'Femminello' lemon leaf-protoplast-derived
cells, stimulated by co-culturing with embryogenic C. sinensis cells (Tusa et
al., 1990) has been postulated. Plants similar to grapefruit were recovered
following fusion of C. sinensis protoplasts originating from embryogenic
nucellar suspension culture with mesophyll-derived protoplasts of C.
paradisi (Ohgawara et al., 1989). Similarly, plantlets identical to Troyer
citrange were regenerated from mesophyll protoplasts fused with nucellar
cell suspension protoplasts of C. sinensis (Ohgawara et al., 1991). The
possibility of cybrid formation cannot be excluded and in some cases has
been proven to occur. Callus recovered from proliferating zygotic em-
bryos provided protoplasts, yielding embryos and subsequently trees of
the monoembryonic Microcitrus (Vardi et al., 1986). Plants have been
regenerated from protoplasts originating from undeveloped ovules
of mature fruit of Calamondin, Citrus madurensis Loureiro (Ling et al.,
1989)-
Table 6.2 Intergeneric Citrus somatic hybrid plants produced from sexually compatible
parents by protoplast fusion
Table 6.3 Inter generic Citrus somatic hybrids produced from sexually incompatible parents
by protoplast fusion
Nucellar callus induced from the ovule Leaf of the 'Murcott' tangor
Cybrids
The donor-recipient fusion method, involving inactivation of donor
nuclei and metabolic inhibition of the recipient, followed by protoplast
fusion (Galun and Aviv, 1988), has been successfully employed in produc-
ing cybrid Citrus plants with the nuclear coded morphology of the
recipient fusion partner. Mitochondrial DNA restriction profiles (Vardi et
aL, 1987) have disclosed novel mitochondrial genomes. The chloroplast
genome of the wild Citrus relative Microcitrus has been transferred into
cybrids possessing the nuclear genome of Citrus cultivars (Vardi et aL,
1989). Cybrids having the nuclear genome of a certain cultivar and alien
organelles will aid breeding and genetic studies by providing information
on cytoplasmic inheritance. Traits such as resistance to herbicides and to
certain pathogens as well as cytoplasmic male sterility may turn out to be
under control of organelle genomes in Citrus.
Recommended reading
Cameron, J. W. and Frost, H. B. (1968). Genetics, breeding and nucellar
embryony. In The Citrus Industry, Vol II, ed. W. Reuther, L. D. Batchelor
and H. J. Webber, pp. 325-81. Berkeley: Division of Agricultural
Sciences, University of California.
Gmitter, F. G. Jr., Grosser, J. W. and Moore, G. A. (1992). Citrus. In
Biotechnology of Perennial Fruit Crops, ed. F. A. Hammerschlag and R. E.
Litz, pp. 335-69. Wallingford, Oxon: CAB International.
LITERATURE CITED 2II
Literature cited
Barrett, H. C. (1974). Colchicine-induced polyploidy in Citrus. Bot. Gaz.,
*$5 29-34.
Barrett, H. C. (1978). Intergeneric hybridization of Citrus and other genera
in citrus improvement. In Proc. Int. Soc. Citriculture, iQTj, ed. W. Grierson,
pp. 586-9. Lake Alfred, FL: ISC.
Barrett, H. C. (1982). Breeding cold-hardy citrus scion cultivars. In Proc.
Int. Soc. Citriculture, ig8i, ed. K. Matsumoto, pp. 61-6. Okitsu, Shizuoka,
Japan: Okitsu Fruit Tree Research Station.
Barrett, H. C. (1990). US 119, an intergeneric hybrid citrus scion breeding
line. HortScience, 25: 1670-1.
Barrett, H. C. and Hutchinson, D. J. (1978). Spontaneous tetraploidy in
apomictic seedlings of Citrus. Econ. Bot., 32: 27—45.
Barrett, H. C. and Hutchinson, D. J. (1985). Rootstock development,
screening and selection for disease tolerance and horticultural
characteristics. Fruit Var.J., 39: 21-5.
Ben-Hayyim, G. and Neumann, H. (1983). Stimulatory effect of glycerol
on growth and somatic embryogenesis in Citrus callus culture.
Z. Pflanzenphysiol., 110: 331-7.
Bowman, Kim D. and Gmitter, F. G. J r (1991). Citrus fruit sector
chimeras as a genetic resource for cultivar improvement. J. Am. Soc.
Hort.Sci. 116:888-93.
Broertjes, C. and Van Harten, A. M. (1988). Applied Mutation Breeding for
Vegetatively Propagated Crops. Developments in Crop Science. Vol. 12, Oxford:
Elsevier, 345 pp.
Button, J. and Bornman, C. H. (1971). Development of nucellar plants
from unpollinated and unfertilized ovules of the Washington Navel
orange in vitro. J. S. Afr. Bot. 37: 127-34.
Button, J., Vardi, A. and Spiegel-Roy, P. (1976). Root peroxidase as an
aid in Citrus breeding and taxonomy. Theor. Appl. Genet., 47: 119—23.
Cameron, J. W. and Frost, H. B. (1968). Genetics, breeding and nucellar
embryony. In The Citrus Industry, Vol. II, ed. W. Reuther, L. D. Batchelor
and H. J. Webber, pp. 325-81. Berkeley: Division of Agricultural
Sciences, University of California.
Cameron, J. W. and Soost, R. K. (1969). Citrus. In Outlines of Perennial
Crop Breeding in the Tropics, ed. F. R. Ferwerda and F. Wit, pp. 129-62.
Wageningen: Veenman and Zonen.
212 GENETIC IMPROVEMENT IN CITRUS
[22l]
222 INDEX
blight, 129, 174, 202 chlorophyll, 69, 90, 100, 106, 141
rootstock susceptibility, 129 chloroplast, 90, 106-7
blood orange, 41 chlorosis, see lime-induced chlorosis
bloom, see an thesis chromoplast, 90, 107
boron chromosomes, 82, 191-2
deficiency, 142, 144 chromosomal aberrations, 190-1
excess, 144 Chrysomphalus aonidum, 161, 165-6
breeding (3-citraurin, 111
cold tolerance, 199-201 citrange, 43
disease and pest resistance, 200-3 see also Carrizo citrange; Troyer
industrial purposes, 199 citrange
nematode resistance, 202 citrangequat, 43
rootstocks, 200-2 Citreae, 19—21
salt tolerance, 201, 203 Citrinae, 19, 20, 22
scion cultivars, 198-200 citric acid, see acid, citric
seedlessness, 198 citriculus mealybug, see Pseudococcus
brown spot (Alternaria), 170 citriculus
budbreak, 76, 79 citron, 4, 5, 7, 33, 35, 43, 50, 53, 84-5,
Burkillanthus, 20, 22 95-6, 174
burrowing nematode (Radopholus similis), see also Citrus medica
175, 202 citrophilus mealybug, see Pseudococcus
see also spreading decline; nematodes calceolariae
Citropsis, 20, 22-4, 53
C 3 plants, 56 C. gilletiana, 23
Calamondin, 20, 26-7 citrumelo, 43
see also Citrus madurensis see also Swingle citrumelo
callus, 203 Citrus, 209, 210
lines, selection, 203 C. aurantifolia, 33, 35, 43, 201, 206, 210
calyx, 79, 93, 98 see also lime
calcium oxalate, 53 C. aurantium, 33, 35, 37, 40, 48-9, 56,
California red scale, see Aonidiella aurantii 129, 203; see also sour orange
canker (Xanthomonas campestris), 170, 200 C. bergamia, 84; see also bergamot
canopy, 49, 58-9, 75^127 C. celebica, 32, 33
carbamates, see pesticides, carbamate C. daoxiamensis, 35
carbohydrate(s), 73, 104 C. grandis, 32, 33, 35-7, 194-6, 201; see
carbohydrate levels, 73 also C. maxima; pummelo; shaddock
carbohydrate reserves, 47, 73 C. halimii, 35
carbon dioxide (COJ, 57 C. hassaku, 195
Caribbean forbidden fruit, 10 C. ichangensis, 32, 33, 200-1
Carrizo citrange, 129, 175, 210 C. indica, 33, 36
p-carotene, 111 C.jambhiri, 35, 129, 209; see also rough
carotenoid(s), 90, 100-1, 109, m lemon
carpel(s), 80, 88 C.junos, 5, 199, 200—1; see also Yuzu
cell division, 93-4, 98 C. latifolia, 43
cell enlargement, 94 C. limettoides, 35, 56, 194
cellulase, 98 C. limon, 33, 35, 37, 194, 203; see also
central axis, 88, 91, 97 lemon
Ceratitis capitata, 155, 162-6 C. limonia, 201; see also R a n g p u r lime
chaff scale, see Parlatoria pergandii C. macrophylla, 32, 129; see also Alemow
chalazal, 48, 84 C. madurensis, 2 6 - 7 , 201, 205; see also
Changsha mandarin, 200 Calamondin
chemotaxonomy, 36, 111 C. mangshanensis, 35
chilling damage, 103, 152 C. maxima, 3 5 - 7 , 4 1 , 204; see also C.
chilling temperatures, 72, 152 grandis; pummelo; shaddock
chimeras, 187-8 C. medica, 7, 33, 35, 37, 43, 53, 84-5,
periclinal, 187 95-6, 192; see also citron
chlorinated hydrocarbons, 163 C.paradisi, 33, 35, 37, 53, 57, 195,
chloro-chromoplast transformation, 106 204-5; see a^so grapefruit
INDEX 223
ornamental citrus plants, 14-15, 21, 26-7, toxicity of, to humans, 162
3° pests, 155-67
Oroblanco, 41-2 arthropod, 161
Ortanique tangor, 40, 42 causes of outbreak: ecological, 155, 161;
oscillations, 58 invasions, 155; socio-economic, 155, 161
out-of-season cropping, 72, 135 host-plant resistance to, 163
see also Verdelli monitoring, 166
ovary, 80-2, 84, 93, 114 resurgence, 162
ovule(s),8i,83, 85,87 petal(s), 80
abortion, 194 petal fall, 79-80, 84
petiole, 53, 56
packing house, 104 petiole wings, 53
Panonychus citri, 155, 163 pheromones, 164, 167
Papeda, 30 phloem transport, 59, 115
Papedocitrus, 31-2 phloem translocation, see phloem transport
Parabemisia myricae, 155, 165, 167 Phoma tracheiphila, see mal secco
parasitoids, 161, 162, 165 phosphorus deficiency, 141, 145, 149
Parlatoria pergandii, 161 photoperiodic control, 70-2
parthenocarpy, 41, 81, 190, 197-8 long day, 71
autonomic, 87 short day, 71 -2
stimulative, 87 photosynthate, 59, 104, 114-16
pathogens, 167-74, 200 export of, 59
pathological diseases, 167-74 photosynthesis, 55-9
pectins, 103, 11 photosynthetic
pedicel, 104 activity, 55-9
peel, 89 photosynthetic competence, 59
color, 106-7 photosynthetic midday depression, 59
growth, 90-1, 94-5, 105 photosynthetically active radiation
roughness, 105 (PAR), 58
structure, 90-1 Phyllocnistis citrella, 163, 166
peel/pulp ratio, 95 phyllotaxy, 53
percentage set, 114 physical control, see pest management,
pericarp, 89 physical
Pera orange, 29, 42, 172, 190 phytoene, 111
pest management, 161-7 phytofluene, 111
autocidal, 163, 164, 166 Phytophtora, 30, 38, 127-9, ! 3 2 J ^ 8 - 9 , 172,
biological, 163, 165-6, 167 J
74-5, *97, 202
chemical, 161-3, 166; alternatives to, citrophtora, 23, 169, 201
163-6 parasitica, 169, 201
cultural, 163, 166 Pineapple orange, 39, 42
economic thresholds for, 161, 164, 166 pistil, 80
genetic, 164 placenta, 81
integrated, 166—7 plant growth substances, 73, 104-6, 150-1
mechanical, 163, 164, 166 plant hormones, see endogenous growth
physical, 163, 164, 166 substances
regulatory, 155 plant phenolics, 110
pesticides plasmodesmata, 92
broad-spectrum, 162, 165, 166, 167 plastome, 37
carbamate, 162 plumule, 48
cost of, 161 pollen, 84-5, 190-1, 195, 203-4
ecological effects of, 162 pollen germination, 81
necessity, 166 pollen grain, 82-4
organophosphorus, 162 pollen mother cells, 81-2
phytotoxicity, 162 pollen sterility, 194
residues, 162 pollen tube, 81, 84
resistance, 162 pollination, 84-5, 195
selectivity, 162, 166 cross, 85
synthetic organic, 161 self, 85
228 INDEX