CROP PRODUCTION OF 'OKITSU' SATSUMA MANDARIN ON NINE ROOTSTOCKS IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

This study reports the performance of ‘Okitsu’ satsuma mandarin trees grafted on nine rootstocks evaluated for nine harvests, in Southern Brazil. The field plot was established in the Experimental Station of Londrina of the Instituto Agronômico do Paraná - IAPAR, located in the municipality of Londrina, State of Paraná, Brazil, and planted in July 2000. The experimental design was randomized blocks with nine treatments, six replications, and two trees per plot. Trees on ‘Swingle’ citrumelo induced the highest cumulative yield (1,568 kg/tree). In contrast, trees on ‘Volkamer’ lemon had the lowest yield. According to the relative yield, ‘Swingle’ citrumelo induced a production index of 58% higher than trees on ‘Rangpur’ lime, the most important citrus rootstock in Brazil. Furthermore, trees on ‘Rangpur’ lime had a performance similar to the ones on trifoliate orange in terms of crop production. In relation to yield efficiency, trees on ‘Swingle’ citrumelo were similar to the ones on ‘C-13’ citrange, ‘Rangpur’ lime and trifoliate orange, for the year of 2007, while in 2011 trees on trifoliate orange presented the highest efficiency. No alternate bearing was observed for the ‘Okitsu’ satsuma mandarin trees in any of the nine rootstocks studied.