Evaluation of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) scion cultivars on 'Bigarade' rootstock in Malakand division under the ASLP Citrus Project

An experiment on sweet orange cultivars budded on to Australian LSQUOBigaradeRSQUO rootstock was conducted at the subtropical fruit Germplasm Unit Sherkhana Malakand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, during 2002-2012 (10 years). Eleven sweet orange cultivars, 'Sherkhana-1', 'Sanguinelli', 'Moro Blood', 'Hockney', 'Tarnab Malta', 'Marrs Early', 'Succari', 'Kozan', 'Blood Red', 'Ruby Blood' and 'Musambi', were evaluated on Australian 'Bigarade' (Citrus aurantium) rootstock to determine the better performing cultivar for fruit yield and quality. The experiment was designed as a randomized complete block with three two-tree replicates. The results indicated that 'Sanguinelli', 'Hockney' and 'Tarnab Malta' had the maximum tree height. The tree canopy spread was greater in 'Hockney', and a larger tree truck circumference was recorded in 'Tarnab Malta'. 'Sherkhana-1' and 'Musambi' were the early fruit-maturing cultivars (mid-November). 'Marrs Early' had maximum individual fruit weight (175 g) followed by 'Tarnab Malta' (169 g). 'Hockney' and 'Musambi' had higher total sugar (13%), while 'Sherkhana-1', 'Moro Blood' and 'Blood Red' had higher juice acidity (0.9%). The lowest sugar:acid ratio was found in 'Moro Blood', while the highest was in 'Hockney' (24.6) and 'Musambi' (23.2). Higher yield per tree was recorded in 'Sherkhana-1' (70.2 kg tree^-1), 'Tarnab Malta' (70 kg tree^-1) and 'Musambi' (65 kg tree^‑1). It was concluded that 'Sherkhana-1' and 'Tarnab Malta' produced higher yield and internal fruit quality on Australian 'Bigarade' rootstock in climatic conditions of Malakand, Pakistan.