Grafted sweet orange [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck] influenced by variability in woodapple [Feronia limonia (L.) Swingle] rootstock

Abstract

A b s t r a c t : Sweet orange [Cllrus sinensls (L.) Osbeclz I can he grown in the lowcountry dry zone as a grafted plant on woodapple rootstock. However, a wide variation in growth and fruit characteristics was observed in these plants. This experiment was therefore conducted to study the variability of sweet orange grafted onto woodapple [Feronia lin.onia (L.) Swinglel rootstoclc with special emphasis on fruit quality characteristics. The rootstoclz seedlings were sortecl out into three groups based on length of spines. The growth rate and the intensity of pigmentation were higher in t h e longer spine rootstoclc group. Magnitude of growth difference a t the bud-union, canopy size, fruit weight and cumulative fruit yieldlyear of the graftecl plants were higher when long spine rootstoclc was used. However, the same group of root,stoclrs procluced fruits with very poor skin quality, juice with low citric acid and low brix content. l1n-pvoved citric acid, brix contents and fruit skin quality were observed in the orange plants grafted onto rootstocl~ seedlings with short spines.