Effect of Micronutrients Foliar Application on Yield, Fruit Quality and Nutrients Concentration in Lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle)

In many citrus orchards fruit quality, such as yield, is not in appropriate status. Perhaps one of the reasons is related to nutrition method of citrus trees, particularly in situations where most soils of country are calcareous. Main purpose of this expriment was the evaluation of iron, zinc, copper and manganese foliar application on yield, fruit quality and nutrient lime leaves. The elements (in sulfate forms) as single or to gether and with detemined concentration (3 to 5 part per thousand) before and after tree flowering were sprayed on the foliage. Some fruit quality parameters were affected by the treatments so that the use of ferrous sulfate and zinc, separately, led to a significant reduction in fruit pH and spraying zinc and manganese substantially increased the thickness of the skin of the fruit.. In general, though nutrition lime trees by spraying with micronutrients did not have significant effect on yield but was improved some fruit quality characteristics; So that the pH of fruit with foliar application of ferrous sulfate and zinc sulfate with concentration of 5 and 3 per thousand, respectively, was decreased significantly (2.181 and 2.186 respectively) and manganese sulfate treatment with concentration of 5 per thousand significantly increased fruit juice (53.37%). Thus the use of iron and manganese sulfate as a concentration of 5 per thousand and spraying zinc sulfate as a concentration of 3 per thousand to increase fruit quality lime is recommended.