Cultivation of Lime and Lemon (Kagzi ) for Good Income Returns

Cultivation of Lime and Lemon ( Kagzi)

The popularity of  Lime or Acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swinale) is more in comparison to the Lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Burm.f ) Acid lime is commercially cultivated in the state of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, and up to some extent in Bihar. whereas Lemon are grown in a very limited geography  
Sweet lime fruits of Punjab  and Lomon fruits of Tamil Nadu are not so highly flavored as acid lime (kagzi Nimboo ) 
Acid lime can grow under high rainfall as well as drier climates whereas lemon requires a comparatively cool climate for vigorous growth and regular bearing.
Difference Between Lime and Lemon; 
The majority of people do not feel any difference between lime and Lemon They thought that both are the same But in reality there is a lot of difference between lime and lemon in terms of color, texture, taste, and also in shape, and size also. The major difference between the two is as follows;
 

Lime

Lemon

1) The lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swinale) is typically round green in colour 3- 6 cms. in diameter (1.2 to 2.4 inch)

2) it is a rich source of vitamin ‘C’ and contains acidic acid juicy vessels.

3) They can be grown around the year. 

4) Lime is sour in taste often uses in beverages and in flavoring to the fruit

1) Lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Burm.f ) is typically yellow in color 2-4 cms in diameter.

2) it is a rich source of citric acid 5 – 6% with a pH of around 2.2.

3) Lemon is primarily used for culinary and cleaning purposes due to its distinctive sour and taste

4) it is also used in making drinks and foods such as lemonade and lemon meringue pie.

Health Benefits of Lime and Lemon ; 

1)Both Lime – Lemon are rich sources of vitamin ‘C’ and are strong antioxidants that protect the cells from damage. 

2) Both of these produce collagen which is used by the body in healing wounds.
2) Lemons and limes both contain flavonoids. Flavonoids are phytochemicals that possess several health benefits, such as for diseases of heart and metabolic disorders.
3) As far as the nutritional benefits of lemons and limes are concerned they possess the same benefits equally. Although lemons have slightly more edge in some vitamins and minerals, the difference between the two is too small to have any effect.
4) Due to presence of the high acidity, these citrus fruits are also considered ineffective in killing bacteria. Because of these reasons, a wide range of citrus-based cleaning products is available in the markets right from bleaches to surface cleaners.

Climate requirement for Lime or Lemon Cultivation ;
1) Lime and lemon are the crops of subtropical regions
2) This crop can be well grown with a temperature range between 13 to 37-degree Celsius
3) A soil temperature of 25 degrees Celsius is perfect for its root growth.
4) under high humid conditions, there is more chance of disease spreading.
5) Hot summer winds under the subtropical and tropical regions result in flower drops and desiccation.
 Soil Requirement for Lime or Lemon Cultivation; 

1) Lemon or lime can be grown on a variety of soils from sandy loam (alluvial) of North India to deep clay loam (lateritic) soil of the North-Eastern and Deccan Plateau regions of the country. 

3) It is well suited to light soils that possess good drainage properties 
4)  A pH range between 5.5 to 7.5 is good for its cultivation although its cultivation can be done in soils that have a pH range of up to 9
5) A high concentration of sodium bicarbonate molecule in the root feeder zone adversely affects its growth

Important Varieties of Lime and Lemon Crop ;

1) There are no established varieties of Sour lime or acid lime. It is popularly known as Kagzi lime in our country. Its fruits are of two types — one is oval and another is round fruit. 

2) Oval fruited types are also called Abhyapuri lime
3) Coorg lime is a new variety that evolved through clonal selection 
4) Tahiti lime is another good variety that is seedless and fruits are of a bigger size.
5) Malta and Nepali oblong are the commonest varieties of lemon in south India. 
6) Other varieties of lemon are; Italian Lisbon, Eureka, Lucknow seedless, Kagzi Kalan, and Pant Lemon-I. 
7) Pant Lemon-I is a new cultivar that is gaining popularity. Fruits are round juicy and medium in size.

Propagation of Lime am Lemon ; 

1) Lemon and lime both can be propagated by seeds and vegetative means but mainly these are propagated by vegetative means only. 

2) Whereas seed propagation is still practiced in the case of acid limes to produce rootstocks for budding purposes. 
3) Shield or T budding is the most common method used in the vegetative propagation of lime and lemon crops. 
4) Budding is most commonly done either in spring or in the month of September.
5)  Acid lime is generally multiplied by seeds. Because of the polyembryonic nature of the seed, seedling plants resemble the parent plant and are resistant to Viral infections. 
It can also be multiplied vegetatively by air layering. Similarly, lemons are also multiplied by seeds and air-layering

Planting of Lime and Lemon;

1) The planting time is July-September as well as February-March. However, rainy-season planting is preferred. 

2) Dug the pits of the size of 1m x 1m x 1m  for planting seedlings. 
3) Apply 15-20 kg of FYM and 500 g of superphosphate per pit.
4) Spacing; Plant-to-plant and row-to-row distance should be 4-5 m to 6 meters. 
5) The plant population should be 277 to 400 plants / Ha

Irrigation Requirement in Lime or Lemon Crop;

1) In the initial years of growth, irrigation is required at every critical stage of the plants it further reduces the flower drop and increases the fruit size 

2) Light irrigation with high frequency is beneficial.
Irrigation water containing more than 1000 ppm salts is injurious. 
3) The quantity of water and frequency of irrigation depends on the soil texture and growth stage.

Manuring and Fertilizers in Lime or Lemon Crops;

The manuring and fertilizers should be done 3 times in a year it should be done in the month of February, June, and September The recommended doses are –

 Age of Plant 
FYM 
 Kg/Plant
 
   N 
Gms/Plant
  P 
 Gms/Plant
K

Gms /Plant

  I year   10  180  150  100
 2 year   20  360  300  200
 3 year   30  540  450  300
 4 year   40  750  600  400
 5 year & Above     50  900  750  500
Inter Cropping in Lime or Lemon Crop ;

Intercropping is advisable initially for 3 to 4 years of the crop. a leguminous crops like cowpeas, soybeans, french beans, peas, groundnuts, and gram can be grown as intercrops. The vegetable crops like brinjal, cauliflower, chilies, onion, and guar can also be grown depending upon the agroclimatic zone of the area.

Pest and Disease Management in Lime and Lemon ; 

 A) Pest Management ; 

Major Pest

Control

Leaf miner

Foliar sprays either with quinalphos 1.25 ml or fenvalerate 0.5 ml or monocrotophos 1.0 ml/litre of water at weekly intervals on new flush as soon as an infestation is noticed.

Citrus black fly and whitefly

One spray against adults and two at 50% egg hatching stage (I half of April & Dec. and II fortnight of July) at 15 days interval either with acephate 1.25 g or quinalphos 1.5 ml or imidacloprid 0.5 ml/ litre of water

Citrus psylla

Foliar spray either with quinalphos 1.0 ml or acephate 1.0 g or monocrotophos 0.5 ml/liter of water at bud burst stage or as and when the infestation is noticed during Feb, – Mar., Jun., – Jul. & Oct, – Nov.

Citrus thrips

Foliar spray either with dimethoate 1.5 ml or monocrotophos 1 ml/litre of water at bud burst stage and berry size fruits.

Scale insects

Spraying of parathion (0.03%) emulsion, dimethoate 150 ml and 250 ml kerosene oil in 100 litre of water or malathion @ 0.1 % or carbaryl @ 0.05% plus oil 1 %.

Trunk borer

Swabbing of the tunnel either with dichlorvos (0.1%) or carbaryl (1%) or monocrotophos (0.02%) kills the grub effectively.

Bark eating caterpillar

Plugging of larval tunnels with a cotton wad soaked either in dichlorvos (0.1%) or carbaryl (1%) or monocrotophos (0.01%) effectively checks the pest.

 B) Disease Management ; 

              Major Diseases

                 Control

Phytophthora Gummosis

Scraping of the affected area and application of Bordeaux paste or copper oxifluoride paste or ridomil + carbendazim

Citrus greening (HLB–Huang Long Bing)

Removal of infected branches/unproductive trees and their replacement by disease-free plants. Application of ledermycin 600 ppm with ZnSO4 and FeSO4.Meticulous control of citrus psylla vector.

Citrus tristeza virus

Control of aphids and use of cross protected grafts and shoot tip grafted plants or disease-free grafts are recommended.

Citrus canker

Cutting of infected twigs followed by spraying of 1 % Bordeaux mixture or copper fungicide. Foliar spray application of 100 ppm streptomycin sulphate is also effective.

Powdery mildew

Pruning of dead twigs followed by foliar spray of wettable sulphur @ 2 g/litre, copper oxychloride @ 3 g/litre of water in April and October.

Anthracnose

Pruning of dead twigs followed by two foliar sprays of carbendazim @ 1 g/litre or copper oxychloride – 3 g/litre at the fortnightly interval.

 Harvesting and yield;

1) Lime and lemon flower more than once a year and fruits mature after six months of flowering. 

2) At some places fruiting in Kagzi lime continues throughout the year. 
3) Lime and lemons are harvested when they mature but are still green so that their acidity remains at the highest level.
4) Yellowish color may be developed during storage or by using ethylene. 
5) In lime about 1000 fruits and in lemon about 500 fruits are obtained per plant with a grown-up tree.
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