Spain is one of the most important producers of lemon fruits in the world (1,250,000 Tm in 2020/2021). In addition, about 80% of the Spanish production of lemons is located in the arid southeast, where fertirrigation is important to ensure the highest productivity.
[...] Read more.
Spain is one of the most important producers of lemon fruits in the world (1,250,000 Tm in 2020/2021). In addition, about 80% of the Spanish production of lemons is located in the arid southeast, where fertirrigation is important to ensure the highest productivity. The aim of the present study was to determine the content of nutrients present in two differently grafted lemon trees (
Citrus × limon) of the Verna variety, located on a drip-irrigation farm in Librilla (Region of Murcia, Spain). The first one was grafted in a Sweet orange rootstock (
Citrus × sinensis), and the second one was grafted in a Bitter orange rootstock (
Citrus × aurantium). Both were in 40-year-old trees grown in conventional agricultural practices. The Bitter orange rootstock (
Citrus × aurantium) favoured the appearance of the ‘Miriñaque’ (in Spanish) or protuberance of the trunk at the union of the graft, whereas this did not appear in the Sweet orange rootstock (
Citrus × sinensis). For the analysis, fresh samples of old leaf, young leaf, and root were collected from five different trees for each rootstock. Once processed after having been weighed, dried, and ground, they were analysed by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis (Optima 3000, PerkinElmer). The result showed that the growth in aerial biomass was higher in Verna grafted on Sweet orange rootstock. The root samples of the lemon tree with Bitter orange rootstock contained a higher amount of Fe, Mn, and Zn than the samples of the lemon tree with Sweet orange rootstock. The rest of the nutrients did not show significant differences. The new and old leaves of Verna in Sweet orange rootstock showed a higher amount of Fe, Mn, and Zn than the new and old leaves of Verna in Bitter orange rootstock. Additionally, the rest of the nutrients did not show significant differences. The study revealed that this protuberance in the trunk prevents the passage of these elements from the root to the aerial part of the trunk. This is probably related to the cell-to-cell passage.
Full article
