Growth trend and tolerance of Swingle citrumelo in Mazandaran calcareous soils, Iran

JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND POSTHARVEST RESEARCH 2021, VOL. 4(SPECIAL ISSUE: PLANT NUTRITION IN HORTICULTURE), 35-48 Journal homepage: www.jhpr.birjand.ac.ir University of Birjand Growth trend and tolerance of Swingle citrumelo in Mazandaran calcareous soils, Iran Ali Asadi Kangarshahi1 and Negin Akhlaghi Amiri2* 1, Soil and Water Research Department, Mazandaran Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Sari, Iran 2, Horticulture Crops Research Department, Mazandaran Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Sari, Iran ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Original Article Article history: Received 11 October 2020 Revised 9 December 2020 Accepted 27 December 2020 Available online 10 April 2021 Keywords: Calcium carbonate Chlorosis Citrus Rootstock Vegetative growth DOI: 10.22077/jhpr.2020.3801.1175 P-ISSN: 2588-4883 E-ISSN: 2588-6169 *Corresponding author: Horticulture Crops Research Department, Mazandaran Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Sari, Iran. Email: © This article is open access and licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ which permits unrestricted, use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, or format for any purpose, even commercially provided the work is properly cited. Purpose: In this study, the response of Miyagawa Satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu) on Swingle citrumelo rootstock to calcareous soils of the east of Mazandaran in Iran was investigated. Research method: The experiment was done by seven soils with different calcium carbonate (2-45%) for two years. Findings: Soils with 14% total lime and 5% active lime had the highest shoot dry weight. Soils with 30 and 45% total lime, and 14 and 16% active lime had the highest chlorosis and soils with no lime or 3% active lime and 2 to 9% total lime had the least chlorosis. Soils with 2 and 9% total lime had the highest Fe concentration in root and the least chlorosis. Fe concentration in the roots was about 7.5 times that of the leaves, which show Fe accumulation and inactivation in the root. Mn concentration in leaves in most soils was lower than optimum, while available Mn in most soils was more than optimum (2.5 mg kg-1). Mn concentration at the roots was about 3.2 times of that in the leaves. In contrast, although available Zn of some soils was lower than optimum, in most soils the Zn concentration of leaves was in the optimum range. Research limitations: No limitations were founded. Originality/Value: Mn, due to low uptake and transmission efficiency from roots to shoots and severe deficiency in leaves is the most limiting microelement in this rootstock-scion combination. According to this research, Swingle citrumelo rootstock is appropriate in soils with total and active lime less than 14% and 5%, respectively. Asadi and Akhlaghi/J. HORTIC. POSTHARVEST RES., 4(SPECIAL ISSUE), JULY 2021 INTRODUCTION Calcium carbonate that exists in more than 30% of the world's land is one of the most critical soil chemical properties that limit Fe availability for plants (Chen & Barak, 1982; Loeppert et al., 1994). Mazandaran province is one of the most critical horticultural areas of Iran with 120,000 hectares citrus cultivation area and more than two million tons annual production (Asadi Kangarshahi & Akhlaghi Amiri, 2014a). Figure 1, has shown the map of Mazandaran province and the lands under cultivation of all its crops. Cross-sectional studies of the soils of Mazandaran province (Fig. 2) have shown that the amount of calcium carbonate in the orchards of this region gradually increases from west to east (Asadi Kangarshahi & Akhlaghi Amiri, 2014a). Currently, Swingle citrumelo rootstock for citrus in these areas is expanding rapidly. Whereas this rootstock has been reported sensitive to soil calcium carbonate, and possibility of leaf chlorosis and decline of citrus trees on it is very high (Castle & Nunnallee, 2009; Pestana et al., 2005; Sudahono et al., 1994). Field observations of authors in citrus gardens in the east of Mazandaran have shown that this rootstock in soils with high calcium carbonate, often suffered from lime chlorosis. Hence, non-scientific promotion of this rootstock could affect fruit yield and quality. Fe availability for plants in most calcareous soils is low and leads to chlorosis, decrease yield, and fruit quality in sensitive crops like some citrus rootstocks and varieties. In these soils, citrus trees on susceptible rootstocks often show severe deficiency symptoms or Fe chlorosis, due to, high pH, and bicarbonate concentration in soil solution. However, Fe deficiency in calcareous soils of Mediterranean regions is for the high concentration of Ca and bicarbonate in soil solution (Mengel, 1995). High bicarbonate concentration in the root zone usually affects metabolic processes in leaves and roots, and causes to develop of Fe chlorosis symptoms in leaves (Mengel, 1995). Active lime represents a part of soil lime that has a high specific surface and is very reactive. This active lime, indirectly, is responsible for growth reduction and physiological disorders like chlorosis (Castle & Nunnallee, 2009; Yang et al., 2010). Active Fe in the leaf and root represents a part of Fe that is divalent and active metabolically (Katyal & Sharma, 1980; Neaman & Aguirre, 2007). Using Swingle citrumelo rootstock in calcareous soils because of its inability to uptake adequate microelements like Fe is limited. Most citrus varieties, especially blood oranges on this rootstock in soils with high calcium carbonate, don’t have sufficient yield and quality, they also, have many problems for gardeners (Manthey et al., 1994). A few studies have done for appropriate rootstocks in calcareous soils (Asadi Kasngarshahi & Akhlaghi Amiri, 2020; Martinez Cuenca et al., 2017). Most of these reports indicate that Swingle citrumelo in calcareous soils with heavy texture shows chlorosis symptoms and Fe deficiency (Albrecht et al., 2018). Several reports show that Poncirus (Poncirus trifoliate L.) and its commercial hybrids are sensitive or semi sensitive to calcareous soils (Albrecht et al., 2018; Fu et al., 2016; Levy & Shalheret, 1990). Lime-induced chlorosis can reduce yield and quality and delay citrus fruit maturity (Pestana et al., 2001; Qrtiz et al., 2007). Several reports indicate that the most appropriate way to solve this problem is the use of rootstocks with Fe chlorosis tolerant (Davies & Albrigo, 1994; Pestana et al., 2001). Some research indicates that Swingle citrumelo is not a suitable rootstock for calcareous soil (Castle & Stover, 2001; Pestana et al., 2001; 2005). Evaluate of vegetative growth of grapefruit trees on Swingle citrumelo rootstock showed that as the soil calcium carbonate increased to 2%, vegetative growth reduced strongly, but, grapefruits on Swingle citrumelo in high pH soils of Texas and Florida had relatively high yield (...truncated)