• Mandarin occupies 50% area under citrus spp.
• Seed of citrus doesn’t have dormancy so they should be sown immediately after extraction.

  

• Blooming three times a year.

1. 1. 1. February flowering Ambe Bahar
      2. June flowering        Mrig Bahar
      3. October Flowering Hasth Bahar

• Mandarins are highly susceptible to waterlogging.
• Rootstock for HDP – Troyer citrange (1.8×1.8m²).
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• Best time of pruning – Late winter or early spring.
• Highly polyembryonic – Mandarin, Sweet orange, Acid lime Gape fruit.
• Monoembryonic – Pummelo Tahiti lime, Citron.
• Rangpur lime is the most Promising rootstock for mandarin & Sweet orange.
• Rootstock – Adajamir ( C. assamensis) is resistant to greening.
• Citrus fruits have a special kind of fruit skim referred to as the leathery rind
• Citrus is a micronutrient loving plant
• Trifoliate orange resistant to phytophthora and nematodes.
• Alemow (Citrus macrophylla) is a dwarfing rootstock for old-line Temple mandarin (Citrus temple).
• Limolin – glycoside is responsible for bitter tests in citrus juice.

• The aroma of Orange – Valencene

• The Kinow variety of mandarin developed by H B frost in the USA in 1935
• The Kinow was introduced to India in 1959
• Nagpur mandarin was introduced to India in 1894 by Shuji Raja Bhonsle
• The irrigation requirement of mandarin is higher than other citrus species
• The state with the highest production of citrus in India in Andhra Pradesh followed by Maharashtra.
• Sikkim is the only place where mandarin is packed in wooden boxes.

Varieties: –

• Coorg- Most important commercial variety of South India
• Khasi – Locally known as Sikkim or Kamla mandarin
• Nagpur (Ponkan) – Finest mandarin in the world. Grown in Satpura hills of MH.
• Satsuma (seedless) – Commercial mandarin of Japan
• Emperor and Fuetrelles – Introduced from Australia.
• Sutwal – Introduced from Nepal
• Laddu

Hybrid: –

Kinow- King x willow leaf

     Citrus nobilis x Citrus diliciosa

First time raised on Jatti Khatti (Citrus jambhiri rootstock in 1959 at the PAU regional Research Station Abohar)

Climate –

• Mandarin requires subtropical & tropical climate
• Grow in elevation from 600 – 1100m.
• Annual rainfall 75 – 250 cm

Soil

• Medium to light loan, deep, well-drained, free from excess salts rich in organic matter
• Soil pH – 5.5 to 8.0

Propagation

Mandarins are largely propagated by seeds. However, the Nagpur Santra and kinnow is mainly propagated by budding

Rootstocks

• Jambheri is universally used for Nagpur Santra in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh
• Karna khatta rootstock used in Punjab and UP

Manures and Fertilizers

• N:P:K – 290 : 200 : 240 gm / tree
• FYM – 100 kg / tree
• The total amount of P₂O₅ and K₂O and half dose of N. are applied during Feb. March and remaining dose of N during Sept-Oct.

Irrigation

• During summer 8-10 days interval and in winter 20-25 days interval

Interculture and intercropping

• Hoeing is done twice and thrice a year
• Suitable intercrops are Moong, Urd, Pea, Cabbage, Potato, etc.

Flowering and fruiting

• Plants start bearing flowering and fruits 4-5 years after planting
• Kinnow trees show the tendency of irregular bearing. That is heavy crop year is followed by poor crop year with small fruits of poor quality
• Application of NAA 350 ppm 30 days after full bloom induces a reasonable amount of fruit thinning.

Harvesting

• Being non – climacteric, mandarin fruits fail to ripen after harvesting
• Harvested only when they are fully ripe, attractive orange coloured, and acceptable sugar-acid ratio
• Picking of Kinnow – from the end of January to half February

Yield

• Kinnow – 2000 – 5000 fruits/tree
• Mandarin – 1000 – 1500 fruit / tree 100 – 150 q. / ha.