Content uploaded by Chandan Kumar
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Chandan Kumar on Jul 27, 2021
Content may be subject to copyright.
Content uploaded by Chandan Kumar
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Chandan Kumar on Jun 05, 2020
Content may be subject to copyright.
SWEET LIME
(
Citrus limettioides
)
ChandanKumar,DheerajSingh,M.L.Meena andN. Thirupathi
1. INTRODUCTION
Sweetlimeisverydifferentfromthefruit
that wetraditionally think of as a lime.
When fully ripe, the fruit’s size is
comparabletoalargelemon,andtheskin
islightgreenor,morecommonly,yellow.
The ta ste lacks acidity that causes
tartness.Theresultingflavourismildand
refreshing;commonlyenjoyedas a juice,
orfreshfrom thetree.Thisuniquecitrus
is believed to be a hybrid between a
Mexicanlime andasweetlemon,andits
dense, evergreen folia ge is often
distinctivelycuppedorrolled.
1.1.Nutritivevalue
Sweetlime,likeallcitrus,containspotent
vitaminsandnutrients.ItshighvitaminC
and folic acid content ensure strong
immunity,glowingskinhealth,andsupport
to bones and joints.As explained in the
book, “HealthPromoting Properties of Fruits and Vegetables (Simonne et al., 2011).
Citrusalsocontainsotherextremelybeneficialcompoundsincludingchlorophyll,carotenoids,
phenolics,flavonoids, andlimonoids.Accordingtothe“NutritiveValueofIndianFoods”
published by the National Institute of Nutrition, 100g of sweet lime has the following
values:
42
CHAPTER
CONTENTS
1. Introduction ............................................... 885
2. OriginandDistribution.............................. 886
3. AreaorRegionofCultivationor
Availability ................................................. 886
4. DifferentSpeciesandCytogenetic .............887
5. BotanicalDescriptionandGrowthHabit... 887
6. Climate ......................................................888
7. Soil............................................................889
8. Propagation ...............................................889
9. Variety .......................................................890
10. CropImprovement.....................................891
11. Cultivation.................................................891
12. Harvesting,Yield,Post‐harvest
ManagementandStorage.......................... 898
13. EconomicLifeofPlantation......................898
14. FutureResearchThrust .............................898
886MINORFRUITS:NUTRACEUTICALIMPORTANCEANDCULTIVATION
Sweet limes a r e used f or ma ny
purposesforexampleitissuitableforeating
and contains amount of oil includes peel
oilaswellasjuiceoilandtheyarevolatile
in nature. It contains high amount of
ascorbic acid (Sandhu & Minhas, 2006)
and its juice is used as a sweet drink in
summer.Limonene(60.17%)wasthemost
abundant terpene, followed by gamma
terpinene (11.80%), terpinolene (2.96%),
betapinene (2.08%), linalool (1.85%), p
cymene (1.38%), geranial (1.33%) and
alphaterpineol (1.28%). The remaining
terpenes amounted to <1% found in the
peel oil of the sweet lime (Abdul et al.,
1992).
1.2. Medicinal Uses
In India the sweet lime is therapeutically valued for its cooling effect in cases of fever
and jaundice.
2. ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION
Thoughthe Citrus genus has manypoints of origins ranging from Indonesia to China, a
2004 report published inthe “Agriculture Review” points to the hills of Meghalaya and
Nagaland as the home of sweet limes (Citrus tanaka). On the other hand, the book,
“FruitsofWarmClimates”citesabroaderrangebyincludingIndia’scentralandnorthern
regions. The fruit itself is a hybrid ofa Mexicanlime and sweet citron or sweet lemon.
Nowa days,sweetlimes aregrow inEgypt,Syria,Palestine,tropicalAmericas,partsof
SoutheastAsia, and the Mediterranean. It’s also a hobby fruit in parts of Florida and
California(Shivankar,2010).
3. AREA OR REGION OF CULTIVATION OR AVAILABILITY
Sweet limes, also known as “tanaka,” are cultivated in the Northeast regions of India,
Punjab and Tamil Nadu specifically in the hills at high elevations between 1,000m to
2,700m. It’s difficult to determine sweet lime’s production figures, as they’re generally
lumped into “sweet orange” statistics. Nonetheless, The FAO lists India’s 2011 citrus
production at a staggering 54 million metric tonnes, of which the “National Bank and
Agriculture and Rural Development Centre” lists sweet or anges accounting for
approximately 25 percent of all citrus cultivation in the country.
Table1: NutritionalCompositionofSweetlime
Fruit(per100gofedibleportion)
Parame ters value
Moisture 88.4
Pro tein 0.8g
Fat 0.3g
Min erals 0.7g
Fib ers 0.5g
Carb ohydrates 9.3g
Ca lcium 40mg
Ph ospho rus 30mg
Po ta ssium 490mg
Iron 0.7mg
VitaminC 50mg
SWEETLIME887
Sweet limes come into season mostly during the rainy months from July toAugust,
far beforeotherorangevarietieshittheshelvesbetweenOctober throughNovember,and
againfromNovemberthroughMarch.Whilecitrusfruitscanbefoundyearround,sweet
limes are quite distinctly a summer monsoon fruit (Shivankar, 2010).
4.DIFFERENTSPECIESANDCYTOGENETIC
The sweet lime, according to W.T. Swingle classification (Nicolosi, 2007), belongs to
Citrusgender,limettaspecies,Rissovariety,AuranciaceassubfamilyandRutaceaefamily.
ThisfamilyRutaceae that includes 162 species(Tanaka, 1977) and is grownin tropical
andsubtropicalareasoftheworld.VirtuallyallcultivatedformsofCitrus,Fortunellaand
Poncirus are diploid and the diploid number of chromosomes in these genera is 18
(Krang,1943).
Citrus limettioides (Sweet lime): It is Concentrated in Maharashtra, Uttaranchal,
H.P. and NEH region)
Citrus limmetta (Sharbati lime): It is concentra ted inBaghmara area in Garo Hills,
Meghalaya.
5.BOTANICALDESCRIPTIONANDGROWTHHABIT
The sweet lime is a large and spreading tree with mediumsize leaves characteristically,
somewhatrolled andcupped,palegreenincolourwithprominentoilglandsandnakedto
marginedpetioles.T he flowersar e large,pur e white andfra grantar e solitaryor in short
cymes,borneaxillaryoncurrentflushofgrowth(“leafybloom”),andalsowithoutleaves
fromthe previous flush (“bouquet bloom”). The flowers are perfect, with5 petals and
sepals; petals linear, sometimes curved lengthwise, waxy, and thick; sepals fused at base
toformasmallcup.Ovaryiscompoundwith1014loculesinmostcommercialcultivars;
positionsuperior,andsubtendedbyraisednectarydisc.Mostvarietiesareselfpollinated.
The fruit is globose or ovoid, generally with low and flat papilla. The rind is tight,
smooth, thin and light green but, lemon yellow on full maturity. The sectionsin thefr uit
are closely set. The colour of fleshis yellowish white. Thecontent ofjuice is abundant,
taste is sweet insipid, devoid of acidity. The number of seeds per fruit varies from none
tofive.Thefruit shape,foliagecharacters, lightcolouredinnerseedcoat a chalazalspot
are distinctive characters. Polyembryonic character of sweet lime suggests that it is
probably hybrid that isnearly sterile.Fruits are so important that they have received a
special name – a hesperidium.A hesperidium is basically a leathery rinded berry. The
endocarpisthe edibleportion,dividedinto1014 segments separatedbythinsepta,each
containing up to 5 seeds, but usually only one.
The tree, its foliage, and the form and size of the fruit resemble the Tahiti lime; the
leaves are serrated andthe petioles nearlywingless. The fruit is nota t all similar to the
888MINORFRUITS:NUTRACEUTICALIMPORTANCEANDCULTIVATION
Mexicanlime. The flowers are borne singlyin the leafa xils or in terminal clusters of 2
to 10; the fruits may be solitary or in bunches of 2 to 5.
TheIndian sweet limehas less sugar than a sweet orange but it hasalmost nocitric
acid and therefore tastes sweeter. To some people the taste feels insipid. The tree has
bigshinyleavesthatareoftencuppedorrolled. Thefruitislargeforalime andusually
has a pronounced nipple. The colour turns orangeyellow when fully mature.
5.1.Floweringand fruiting
The flowers are borne singly or in clusters; in thelatter caseleaves may be present or
absent from the main axis. A comparison of the productivity of leafy and leafless
inflorescences showed the former type to produce a higher percentage of hermaphrodite
flowers and ma ture fruit (Singh and Dhuria, 1960). Thesweet lime trees bear two type
of flowers viz. Staminate and harmaphrodite on the same tree, but the formation of
staminateflowerismore.Theshybearingtendencyofsweetlimetreeshasbeenobserved
due to low percentage of perfect flowers and not due to selfincompatibility as reported
by some workers. To induce a higher percentage of perfect flowers have shown that
averagefruitsetcouldbeincreasedto1∙39 percentbybendingand ringingthebranches
andto 2∙80percentbysprayingwithIBA100ppm,as against1∙09percentfruitsetin
thecontrol(Motial,1964).Sevenyearoldtreesofsweetlimeweresprayedon21February
withPlanofix [NAA]or Ethrel [ethephon], bothat 2501000 p.p.m. active ingredient.At
the highest rate, the two compounds increased the proportion of hermaphrodite flowers
from18.2%inthecontrolto34.1and32%, respectively(Kushaletal.,1984).Thesweet
lime starts bearing small and uneconomic crop from the fourth year, but normal and
economiccropisobtainedfromtheseventhyear.Thefruitsmatureafteraboutsixmonths
oftheirblossoming.FruitsettingcanbeincreasedwiththeapplicationofPCPAat75and
100 ppm when applied via the foliage have been reported to cause the highest fruit set
(68.570%) and the highest fruit yield (336345 fruit/tree) (Gangwar and Singh, 1965).
6.CLIMATE
Sweet lime is evergreen, grown in truly subtropical climates of the world although in
tropical regions of the world they tend to produce cyclic growth flushes and hence
regulating cropping in tropical areas for forcing them into concentrated bloom needs
judicious management of water deficit stress accordingto soil type and growing season.
It growsbest between a temperature range of 13
o
C to 37
o
C. Temperatures below – 4
o
C
areharmfulfortheyoungplants.Soiltemperaturearound25
o
Cseemstobeoptimum for
rootgrowth.Dryandaridconditionscoupledwithwelldefinedsummerhavinglowrainfall
(ranging from 75cm to250 cm) aremost favourable for the growth of the crop. High
humidity favours spread ofmany disea ses and frostis highly injurious. Hot wind during
summer results in desiccation and drop of flowers and developing fruits. Barring these
SWEETLIME889
limitationsit isgrowninallsubtropicalandtropicalareasoftheworld.Thesubtropical
climate is best suitedfor sweet limegrowth anddevelopment. It a lso grows successfully
at higher altitude inAssam.
7. SOIL
Sweet lime can grow well in wide range of soils. Soil properties like soilreaction, soil
fertility,dra inage, freelime and salt concentrations, etc. are some important factors that
determinethesuccessofsweatlimeplantation.Itflourisheswellonlightsoilswithagood
drainage.DeepsoilswithpHrange of5.5to7.5areconsideredgood.However, theycan
growin pH range of 4 to 9. Presence ofca lcium carbonate concentrationwithin feeding
zone may adversely affect the growth. Light loam or heavier but well drained subsoils
appears to beideal for its cultivation.
8. PROPAGATION
Sweetlimeiscommerciallypropagatedbyhardwoodstemcuttings.However,itcanalso
bepropagatedbybudding,airlayering,andoccasionallybynucellarseedlings.Sweetlime
is highly polyembryony, the average number of embryos per seed has been reported as
5.8.InIndia,thesweetlimeisgrownfromcuttings.Thehardwoodcuttingsareprepared
from selected shoots of consistently high yielding trees. The cuttings are best rooted
during the monsoon under open conditions (Jauhari, and Rahman, 1959). 25cm long
sweet lime cuttings taken in July were treated with IBA or NAA, each at 15006000
p.p.m.,andplantedinpotsfilledwithsand.Rootingandsubsequentsproutingandgrowth
of plants were best with IBA at 1500 p.p.m. followed closely by NAA at 1500 p.p.m.
(Singhet al., 1986). T he root formation in cuttings can be enhanced by the application
ofIBAat 3000ppmbyquickdipmethod.Underfavourableconditionsrootingcompletes
in 4 to6 weeks. However, theplants raised from stem cuttings generallyshallow rooted
and are surface feeders, which is a demerit (Sumaya, 2005). Propagation by shield
budding is successful provided that the operation is performedin MarchApril and only
thecurrentseason’s budwoodisused.Thesuitablerootstockisjattikhatti(roughlemon)
inthePunjab,KarnaKhattainUttarPradeshandJambheriinotherpartsofthecountry
(Arora, et al., 2012).
8.1Micropropagation
The morphogenetic response ofCitrus limon (Assam Lemon) andC. limettioides(sweet
lime) microshoots to paclobutrazol at 0, 0.5, 1, 2.5 and 5 mg/litre ina nMS 3 medium.
Observations recorded after 5 weeks of culture showed that paclobutrazol was effective
in reducing the growth of the plants. Both species showed increased root weight and
diameter withpaclobutrazolat5 mg/litre,butthisratesuppressedrootlength,numberof
leaves and shoot weight. Root length reduction was more inAssam lemon than sweet
lime. Increase in root diameter was prominent in sweet lime (Singh et al., 2001).
890MINORFRUITS:NUTRACEUTICALIMPORTANCEANDCULTIVATION
9. VARIETY
TherearesaidtobeseveralstrainsinIndiadifferinginfruitshapeandtreeproductivity.
Sweet lime trees grow bushy and the light skinned roundish yellow fruits have very
smooth surfaces. The fruits are of great commercial value in local markets and are
consumed fresh.
9.1.Mitha chikna
The plantis medium tall, spreading, densely andthorny. It is a prolific bearer. The fruit
isalmost sphericalor globose,lightyellow,surfaceverysmoothandglossy.Rindisvery
thin, leathery, adherence medium to strong. The number of segments is 1011. Juice is
abundant, taste sweet or insipid sweet, flavour agreeable.
9.2. Mithotra
Tree is spreading with lightgreen foliage. Stout thorns present on twings, fruit is large,
lemon yellow, apex slightly depressed, the rind is rough and thick and oil glands are
prominent. Theflesh colour is yellowish white. Juiceis abundant, nice taste and flavour
agreeable. Seed 56 per fruit. Fruits ripen in September.
9.3.Indian(Palestine)
The fruit is oblong, ovoid or nearly round, with rounded basea nd small nipple at apex,
occasionallyslightlyribbed;peelaromatic,greenishtoorangeyellowwhenripe,smooth,
withconspicuous oil glands, thin; pulp paleyellow, usua lly in 10 segments, tender, very
juicy, nonacid, bland, faintly bitter. The tree may be large or shrubby; is spreading,
irregular, thorny, with leaves resembling those of the orange but paler and with more
prominent oil glands, theirpetioles faintly winged. Buds and flowersa rewhite. Thetr ee
is hardier than that of the acid lime; bea rs late in the rainy sea son in India when other
citrus fruits are outofseason.
9.4.Columbia
It is a clonal selection mentioned by Swingle and Reece (1967).
9.5.SohSynteng
It is strongly acid variation inAssam with new shoots and flower buds briefly pinkish.
9.6. Soh Jew
A seedless strain is found to grow in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya.
SWEETLIME891
9.7. NRCC Sweet lime‐ 1
Round fruit attractive, yellow colour, oval shape and very juicy fruits with thin peel
thickness (2.72mm). It is selected as a seedling. Fruits ar e medium size av. fruit weight
198g, sweet having 10.5 % TSS with very low acidity (0.18%).
10. CROP IMPROVEMENT
The sweet lime is selfcompatible. In studies a imed at improving yield, Indian scientists
foundthatselfpollinationresultsinmaximumfruitset,whilecrosspollinationwithsweet
orangeorgrapefruitresultsingreaterfruitretention,atthesame timeincreasingfruitsize
andseed count. Therefore,the practiceof interplanting with sweet orange andgrapefruit
has been adopted in commercial orchards.
The general objectives of sweet lime crop improvement mainly fall under 3 classes
asfollows:
i. Fruit characters: The prime objective of the sweet lime breeder is to obtain an
excellentdesertqualityfruit.In additiontothisthefruitshouldhavefewornoseeds
suitable shape and size meeting the commercial requirements good shipping and
keeping qualities attractive rind colour firm texture to meet the canning industry
requirementse.g. grapefruitcitronandorangeshighjuicecolourforjuiceandmixed
drink purposes and standard vitamin C content (Khan, 2007).
ii. Tree characters: Compactness vigour productiveness disease and pest resistance,
cold hardiness, adaptability to various agroclimatic conditions, congeniality with
rootstocks and better coverage with early mid and late varieties.
iii. Rootstocks characters: To obtain rootstock adaptable to different and adverse soil
conditions resistantto trunk andr oot diseases, high compatibility with thescion and
high propor tion of nucellar embryony.At the same time to obtain rootstocks which
do notimpart vigorous growth on thepa rt ofscion so as to make the s cion to bear
fruits of coarse texture and insipid taste (Sumaya, 2005).
11.CULTIVATION
11.1. Planting
The best season of plantingis June toAugust. Pits of the size of 60cm x 60 cm x 60
cmmaybedugforplantingseedlings.10kgofFYMand500 gofsuperphosphatemay
beappliedperpitwhileplanting.Plantingmaybedoneinothermonthswithgoodirrigation
system. The normal spacing is 5 m x5 m and plant population is 400 /ha.
11.2.TrainingandPruning
In order to allow the growth of a strong trunk, initially shoots upto 4050 cm from the
ground level should beremoved. The centre of the plant should remain open. Branches
892MINORFRUITS:NUTRACEUTICALIMPORTANCEANDCULTIVATION
should be well distributedto all sides.C rosstwigs and water suckers are tobe removed
early. The bearing trees require little or no pruning.All diseased, injured and drooping
branches and dead wood are to be removed periodically.
11.3. Irrigation
Sweet lime requires lifesaving watering in the first year during winter and summer.
Irrigationimprovestheplantgrowth,floweringandfruitinginsweetlime.Italsoreduces
thefruitcropsandincreasesthefruitsize.Underunirrigatedconditionchancesofdamage
to spring blossom is high and the next crop maturing in OctoberNovember may be
heavier.Diseaseslikerootrotandcollarrotmayoccurunderoverirrigatedconditionand
ifthecollar regioniswetted.Lightirrigationwithhighfrequencyis beneficial.Irrigation
watercontainingmorethan1000ppmsaltsisinjurious.Quantityofwaterandfrequency
of irrigation depends on the soil texture and growth stage. Partial drying out of the soil
in spring sea son may be acceptable. Increases in the yield of sweet lime were achieved
formicrosprinklerplusdrip(80%),microsprinkler(57%)andsurfaceplusdripirrigation
(74%). During the first year of planting, the highest net income was achieved for
microsprinklerplusdripirrigationforsweetlimewithintercroppingofcowpeaandpotato
crops(Manjunatha et al., 2000). Themaximumvalue of cropcoefficient (Kc)for sweet
limeunderdripirrigation(1.17)wasgreaterthanthatforothercitrustreesunderirrigation
systemsotherthandripirrigation(0.75).Themaximumvalueofevapotranspirationtopan
evaporationratio(ETp:Epan)forsweetlimeunderdripirrigation(0.71) wascomparable
with that of Valencia orange under drip irrigation in Arizona, USA (Sepaskhah and
Kashefipou,1995).
11.4.Manures and fertilizers
Sweet lime plants should be manured in three equal doses three times in a year in
February,JuneandSeptember.Dependingonthesoil,ageandgrowthofplants,thedose
varies. Thedose should increase every year proportionately to reachfull quantity on the
eighth year (Table 2 and 3). Irrigation should beapplied if ther e is moisture stress after
application of fertilizers. One or two sprays of micro nutrient mixtures may be given.
Abdolhossein (2013) recommended that application of 250 g of ammonium sulfate for
everytreeinsoilandspraying10 mgL1ironsulfateduringJunetoimprovethequantity
and quality characteristics as well as increased yield of sweet lime incalcareous soil.
11.5. Interculture
Ploughing,spadingofbasins,weedcontrol,etc.,areimportantintercultureoperationsfor
soil aeration and health. Chemical control of weeds with weedicides like grammaxone,
simazine, diurone, terbsal, etc. may alsobe adopted. Nag etal ., (2008) noticed that use
ofjutenonwoven geotextilesas mulch forcultivationofsweetlimewithturmericas an
intercropinthedrylateriticsoilofMidnapore(West)districtofWestBengal.Theywere
SWEETLIME893
observed thatyieldsof sweet lime andtur mericwere substantially higher fetching higher
economicreturnsto thegrowers.Ghosh(1985)obtainedlargesizedandjuicyfruits with
grass mulching in sweet lime.
Table2:Yearwiserequirementoffarmyardmanure(FYM)(Kg/plant/year)
FYM Ageoftheplant
I II III IV V VI VIIonwards
Kg/plant 20 10 15 20 2 5 30 40
Table3:Yearwiserequirementofvariousnutrients(g/plant/year)
Nutrients Ageoftheplant
I II III IV V VIonwards
Nitrogen 100 200 300 400 450 500
Ph ospho rus 50 100 150 200 200 250
Potash 25 50 75 200 200 250
ZNSO
4 25 25 50 5 0 100 15 0
FeSO
4 25 25 50 5 0 100 15 0
MnSO4 25 2 5 50 5 0 100 150
11.6. Intercrops
Leguminous vegetables like cow peas, french bean, peas, etc. may be grown in sweet
lime orchards. Inter croppingis advisable only during theinitial three years.
11.7. Improvementoffruit settingandfruitretention byplantgrowth
regulators
Fruitset(17.74%)andyields(245.6 fruits/tree)werehighestinsweetlimewithAron(an
acrylic polymer at 1 ml/litre) + NPK (0.5:0.5:0.5 kg/tree), and next highest with Aron
alone(15.3% and202.6 fruits/tree).Thecontrolfruitsetandyieldswere4.92%and93.6
fruits/tree,respectively(Awanetal.,1985).Sweet limesweresprayedatfullbloomwith
GA at2501000p.p.m.,PCPAat25100 p.p.m.,2,4,5Tat520p.p.m.or2,4Dat 520
p.p.m.All treatments increasedfr uit set (except the highest ra te of 2,4,5T) and reduced
preharvestfruitdrop,GAbeingmostsuccessful.Theyalsoincreasedfruitsize,TSSand
ascorbic acidcontents, and slightly delayed fruit maturity(Kumar, et al 1975).
11.8. Insect pests and their management
11.8.1.Citrus Leaf Miner (Phyllocnistis citrella)
Itisa seriouspestofyounggrowingplantsandthenursery. Itremainsactivethroughout
theyear.Thedamageiscausedbypaleyellow larvaewhichmakeshinningsilveryzigzag
894MINORFRUITS:NUTRACEUTICALIMPORTANCEANDCULTIVATION
mines in new emerging leaves on each flush. The attacked leaves curl up, may dry and
fall. The photosynthetic activity of the foliage is greatly reduced, which adversely affect
the vigour of the plants. Leaf miner attack also encourages the development of citrus
canker.
Tocontrolthepestsprayingofconfidor(Imidacloprid)17.80%SL@0.5 mlperlitre
ofwaterorCuracuron(Profenofos)50EC@2ml/LorNuvacron36SL(monocrotophos)
@2 ml/LorHostathion40EC@1.0ml/Lor Chlorpyriphos@3.00ml/Lat eachflush.
11.8.2.Citrus Psylla (Diaphorina Citri)
It remains active throughout the year with peak period of infestation from March to
November.Bothnymphsandadultssuckthecellsapfromleaves,budsandyoungshoots.
As a result the terminal shoots may wilt and dry, plant growth is affected. It also acts
as a vector of greening disease, whichis responsiblefor citrus decline. The adultpsyllid
isawoodcolouredandcanflyactively.It restsontheleaveswithclosedwingsandhind
end raised upward.
Sprayingofrogor30EC(Dimethoate)@1.5 ml/LorNuvacron36SL(Monocrotophos)
@ 1.5 ml/L of water or Imidacloprid @ 0.5 ml/L is advised.
11.8.3.Aphid (Toxoptera gossypii)
AphidsattackcitrusduringDecemberto Marchmonths.It sucksthecellsapfromtender
shoots and leaves. The growth is adversely affected.
SprayingofNuvacron36SL(Monocrotophos)@1.5ml/Lorrogor30EC(Dimathoate)
@ 1.5 ml/L Metasystox @ 2 ml/L of water issuggested for controlling the pest.
11.8.4.Lemon Butterfly (Papilio detnoleus)
Itishighly destructivepestofallcitrus species.Thebeautifullycolouredlarvaeareseen
on young leaves on terminal shots. It eats up the leaf lamina from margins towards
midrib.Lateronit mayfeedon matureleavesanddefoliatethewholeshoot. Thenaked
shoots on the tree are easily identified by Hooking at the faeces on the ground.
Thebestmethodistokillthelarvaemanuallyasit iseasytopickupthecaterpillars
from the young plantations and nursery plants. Incase of severe infestation, spraying of
dursban 20 ECchloropyriphos @ 3 ml per litreor Ekalux 25 EC (quinalphos) @ 2 ml/
Lorthiodan35 EC (Endosulphan)2 ml/Lof waterorSevin50 WP(carbaryl)@2.5 g/
litre of water are recommended.
SWEETLIME895
11.8.5. Citrus White Fly (Dialeurodes citri) andCitrus Black Fly
(Aleurocanthuswoglumi)
Both nymphs and adults cause the damage by sucking cell sap from the tender foliage.
The attacked leaves curl back ward and drop. Sooty mould develops on the honeydew
excreted by thenymphs. The black coating interferes with the photosynthetic activity of
the plants. Even fruits show black coating ofsooty mould.
Sprayingofthiodan35EC(endosulphan)@2ml/Lorhostathion(triazophos)40EC
@2.5ml/Lor,nuvacron36SL(monocrotophos)@2ml/LofwaterinAprilandSeptember
will be helpful to minimize the damage.
11.8.6.Mites (Eutetranychus orientalis)
Mites become serious pest after rainy season. Leaves, flowers and fruits are damaged.
The leaves have minute specks left by the feeding of mites. Leaves gener ally givedusty
looks. In case of severe infestation, the leaves show mottling and finally drop. Skin of
fruits show unpleasant patches. Marketability of fruits is greatly reduced. Spraying of
miticideorrogor 30EC(dimethoate)@ 1.5ml/Las soonas attackisseeninMayJune.
11.8.7.Leaf Folder (Psorosticha zizyphi)
Both young and mature plantations are attacked from May to October. The larvae feed
insidetheleavesbywebbingthemtogetherandstartfeedingfromtopto downwards.The
plants remain stunted. Spraying of nuvacron36 SL (monocrotophos) @1.52.0 ml/L of
waterordursban 20EC(chloropyriphos)@2.5ml/LorEkalux 25 EC(Quinalphos)@
2 ml/L is suggested.
11.8.8.BarkEatingCaterpillar(Indarbela quadrinotata)
This is a pest of neglected orchards. The caterpillars eat by making holes in the wood
particularly near scaffold crotches. It feeds on the bark under the cover which consists
of fine pieces of wood and pellets of excreta. Keeping the orchard clean and regular
removingthewebbingfromtheholeswithstrongwireandinjectingchloropyriphos50:50
solutionor keroseneoilfollowedbypluggingtheholeswithcottonwillbehelpfultokeep
thepestpopulationminimum.
11.8.9. Citrus Nematode (Tylenchulus semipenetrans)
The femalea dult is ovala nd remains attached to the roots and suck cellsa p as a result
terminal growth is infected. The general plant vigour is adversely affected. Nursery
should be raised on nematode free soil.
896MINORFRUITS:NUTRACEUTICALIMPORTANCEANDCULTIVATION
11.9. Diseases and their management
11.9.1.Citrus Canker (Xanthomonas citri)
It is a very seriousdisease ofcitrus particularly limes. Disease appears onleaves, twigs
and fruits. On leaves it appears as yellowish spots. Which gradually enlarge, turn rough
and brownish and become raised on both sides of the leaf. These spots are surrounded
by a yellow halo. On peelof the fruit, the lesions become rough and corky. To control
the disease, spraying of 100 ppm streptocycline + 2g copper sulphate /L of water in
February, October and December is suggested.
11.9.2.Scab(Elsinoe fawcctti)
Small dark, br own, rough, irregular raised lesions mostly onthe underside of the leaves
appear.Twigsandfruitsalsogetinfected.SprayingofBordeauxmixture2:2:250or 50%
copperoxychloride@4g/LofwaterorZiram27SCorDithaneM45@2.5gm/Lthrice
from June toAugust at 20 days interval is recommended.
11.9.3.Gummosis (Phytophthora palmivora)
This disease is knownby different names, viz. foot rot, root rot, collar rot or crown rot
etc.Normallyorchardswithpoorsoildrainage,orfloodirrigatedarepronetothedisease.
Fungus causes rotting of rootlets, dropping of the blighted leaves. The infected plants
flowerheavily.Profusegummingfromthestemandbranchesisthemainsymptomofthis
disease. To control the disease following steps to be ta ken; i. Collectand burry deep in
soil the diseased leaves or fruits. Ii. Use Cleopatra as a rootstock. iii. Avoid flood
irrigation.iv.PaintthetrunkportionswithBordeauxpaintupto20cmofheight.v.Spray
Bordeaux mixture2:2:250thrice, i.e.inFebruarybeforeflowering,JuneandendJuly or
give two applications of Ridomil MZ as paint (2g/100 ml ofLinseedoil) to the infected
portionofthetrunkanddrench(25g/10litreofwater/tree)thesoilatthebaseofthetree
in FebruaryMarch andJulyAugust or two, sprary ofAliette 80 WP (2.5 g/L of water)
inApril and September.
11.9.4.Wither Tip
It is also called die back (anthracnose). It is caused by a fungus Colletotrichum
gloesporioides or may be due to physiological causes. Symptoms of anthracnose appear
on leaves, young shoots, and fruits. On leaves the necrotic spots appear as acervuli
arranged in concentric rings. Dead parts of twigs give silvery grey appearance. Leaves
sheddingandtwigdiebackarecharacteristicsymptoms ofwithertip. Inseverecasesthe
stem and infection of immature fruits results in fruit drop and show tree die back.
SWEETLIME897
Tocontrolthediseasefollowtherecommendedpracticesforpestcontrolandcultural
operations. Prune the diseased wood, leaves and fruits and destroy. Spray the affected
trees with Bavistin 1.0 gm/litre of water in February andBordeaux mixture 2:2:250 in
March and repeat the same in JulyAugust.
11.9.5.Melanose or Stem and Fruit Rot
It is caused by fungus Phomopsis citri. It manifests as dark circular depressions and
yellowish marginson leaves, branches and fruits. Later the spots become raised rough
andlightbrownandyellowmarginsdisappear.Sandpapertexturedevelopsonthesurface
ofleavesandfruits.Sprayingof2:2:250BordeauxmixtureduringJulyAugustandSeptember
is to be done to control the rot.
11.10.Virus like Diseases and their management
11.10.1.Greening
It is caused by bacterium and manifests as stiff upright multiple twigs and buds. The
leaves become small and mottled. Premature defoliation and branches show die back.
Use of disease free bud wood and control of citrus psylla (Diaphorina citri), as it is a
vector for greening disease, is suggested.
11.10.2. Tristeza
Itiscausedbya virus.Itcausesveinclearinginyoungleaves.Theinfectedtreesappear
astheirrootshavebeendamaged.Thisisduetosievetubenecrosisat thebudunionand
crease formation, which check carbohydrate translocationfrom top to roots resulting in
starvation ofroots. Due to heavy bearing, trees usually exhaust. Controllingthe insect
vector (aphid), by regular spraying of insecticides is only the way to check the further
spread of the disease.
11.10.3. Exocortis (Viroid)
The bark below the bud union shreds. Thewood becomes naked at the soil level. Roots
getdamaged.Treesshowstunting.Asitspreadsthroughcuttingtools,sterilizingthetools
before use in the orchard is advised.
11.10.4. Ring Spot
It appears as yellow rings on mature leaves. Rings may befew to many per leaf. Rings
may coalesce to form bigger patches. The severely infected plants show dieback and
decline. The virus spreadsthrough infected budwood. Use of virus free bud wood for
raising of nursery is advised.
898MINORFRUITS:NUTRACEUTICALIMPORTANCEANDCULTIVATION
12.HARVESTING,YIELD,POST‐HARVESTMANAGEMENTAND STORAGE
12.1. Maturity
All citrus are nonclimacteric fruit, meaning that they ripen gradually over weeks or
months and are slow to abscise from the tree. External colour changes during ripening
are a function of climate more than ripeness, and a poor indicator of ma turity. The best
indices ofmaturity for citrus are internal viz. o
brix (sugar), acid content, and theo
Brix/
acid ratio.
12.2. Harvesting
ThefruitsarereadyforharvestingfromAugusttoOctoberinthenorthpartsofIndiaand
September to November inAssam. In the south, AugustSeptember is the main season
for harvesting.
12.3. Yield
Theyieldisabout100150quintalsperhectaredependinguponageoftheplantation,soil
type, climate and management practices followed.
12.4.Post‐harvestmanagementandstorage
Toimpartuniformyelloworangecolourto thefruits applicationofethephon@250ppm
along with 1 per cent calcium acetate as foliar spray at maturity stage is recommended.
Sweet limes have a long shelf lifeat room temperature, asthey keep fresh for upto two
weeks.Intherefrigerator,sweet limeslastforfourto eightweeks.It’spossibleto freeze
slices of the fruit, though the limonin contentin sweet limes may cause the pulp to taste
bitter over time.A way to avoid this is by freezing the fruit in a “wet pack,” achieved
bysubmergingthe slicesinsweetsyrupwithinan airtightglass jar.The sweetlimejuice
can be frozen.The frozen juice will keep for up to six months,though it’s best to check
the fruit periodically to ensure it doesn’t become sour.
13.ECONOMICLIFEOFPLANTATION
Orange and sweet Lime 25 to 30 years.
14.FUTURERESEARCH THRUST
Sweet lime cultivation in India is witnessing manifold challenges due to vagaries of
climate,depletinglandandwaterresources,unavailabilityofqualityplantingmaterial,lack
of postharvest andmarketinginfrastructur e. With growing economy, awareness towards
quality,nutritionalsafeguardandconsequentlyhigherdemandforfruitsandbeverages,the
SWEETLIME899
challenges of enhanced quality production and productivity are being increasingly felt.
Theseemerging challenges call for paradigm shift in production with uptodate stateof
the art technological interventions.
References
Abdolhossein,A.2013.EffectsofnitrogenandirononSweetlime(Citruslimmetta)fruit
quantity and quality in calcareous soils. Journal of Novel Applied Sciences, (28):
211213.
Abdul, S. Shahid, M. and Khan, S.A. 1992. Citrus oil. Part II. Gas chromatographic
analysisoftheessentialoilofCitruslimettavar.Mitha.PakistanJournalofScientific
and Industrial Research, 35(11): 449450.
Arora, R. K., Sonkar, R. K., Kaul, M. K. and Patel, R. K. 2012. Rootstocks inCitrus:
Chronological development. In: Souvenir and Abstracts National Dialogue on
citrus improvement, production and utilization. NRCCitrus, Nagpur. pp. 130148.
Awan, M.Z, M aqbool, M. and Gillani,A.H. 1985. Improvement of fruit yield in sweet
lime(CitruslimettioidesTanaka)bytheapplicationofgrowthregulatorsandchemical
fertilizers. Journal of Agricultural Research, 23(1): 6569.
Gangwar,R.P.andSingh,S.N.1965.Effectoftypeofwood,seasonofplantingandplant
growth regulators on the propagation of sweet lime (Citrus limettioides Tanaka)
through stem cutting. Trop. Agriculturist, 121: 5562.
Ghosh,S.P.1985. Effectsofmulchesandsupplementaryirrigationonsweetlime(Citrus
limetoides) raised in waste land. Ind. J. Hortic., 42(12):2529.
Jauhari,O.S.andRahman,S.F.1959.Furtherinvestigationonrootingincuttingsofsweet
lime (Citrus limetioides, Tanaka). Sc. and Cult., 24: 432 434.
Khan, I. A. 2007. Citrus Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology. Wallingford: CAB
International160 p.
Krang, 1943. Bot. Gaz., 104: 60211.
Kumar,R,Singh,J.P.andGupta,O.P.1975.Effectofgrowthregulatorsonfruitset,fruit
drop and quality of sweet lime (Citrus limettioides Tanaka). Haryana Journal of
Horticultural Sciences., 4 (3/4):123129.
Manjunatha,M.V,Shukla,K.N.andChauhan,H.S.2000.Evaluationofcombinedmicro
and surface irrigation systems insweet lime intercropping. 6
th International Micro
irrigation Congress Micro, Cape Town, SouthAfrica,22: 18.
Motial, V.S.1964. Fruitset studies in sweet lime. Proceedings of the Indian Academy
of Sciences, 60(6): 371379.
900MINORFRUITS:NUTRACEUTICALIMPORTANCEANDCULTIVATION
Nag, D, Choudhury, T.K, Debnath, S, Ganguly, P.K. and Ghosh, S.K. 2008. Efficient
managementofsoilmoisturewithjutenonwovenasmulchforcultivationofsweetlime
and turmeric inred lateritic zone. Journal of Agricultural E ngineering., 45(3): 59
62.
Nicolosi,E.2007.Originandtaxonomy.ChapterIII.InKhan,I.A. (ed.)Citrusgenetics,
breeding and biotechnology. CABI International, Wallingford, UK.
Nicolosi,E.2007.Originandtaxonomy.ChapterIII.InKhan,I.A. (ed.)Citrusgenetics,
breeding and biotechnology. CABI International, Wallingford, UK.
Sandhu,K.S.andK.S.Minhas.2006.OrangesandCitrusjuices.Handbookoffruitsand
fruitprocessing.PublishedbyBlackwell,PublishingProfessional,2121,StateAvenue,
Ames, Lowa, 50014, USA. Pages: 309.
Sepaskhah,A.R.andKashefipour,S.M.1995.Evapotranspirationandcropcoefficientof
sweetlimeunderdripirrigation.AgriculturalWaterManagement,27(34):331340.
Shivankar, V. J. 2010. Citrus industryof India –issues andst rategies. In: Nat. Sem. on
Citrus Biodiversity for Livelihood and Nutritional Security, NRCCitrus, Nagpur.
pp.116.
Singh,A.R,Pande, N.C andPandey,A.K. 1986. Studies on the regeneration of sweet
lime (Citrus limettioides Tanaka) by stem cuttings with the aid of IBA and NAA.
Haryana Journal of Horticultural Sciences,15(1/2): 2528.
Singh, I.P,Handique, P.J. and Parthasarathy, V.A. 2001. Morphogenetic response of
microshoots ofC. limonandC. limettioi desto paclobutrazol. 33(2): 118121.
Singh,J.P.andDhuria,H.S.1960.Studiesonfloralbiologyofsweetlime Citruslimettioides
Tanaka. Indian Journal of Horticulture, 17: 920.
Sumaya, E. M.E. 2005. Propagation of lime (Citrus aurantifolia L.) by stem cuttings
technique. M.Sc. thesis, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum, Sudan.
SwingleWT,ReecePC.1967.ThebotanyofCitrusanditswildrelatives.In:TheCitrus
industry. Volume 1. University of California Press edition. Edited by: Reuther W,
Webber HJ, Batchelor DL. Berkeley, CA, USA; 1967:190–430.
Tanaka,T.1977.FundamentaldiscussionofCitrusclassification.StudiaCitrologica,14:
1–6.