Effects of Combined Application of Alginate Oligosaccharides, Potassium Fertilizer and Water Management on the Yield and Quality of Citrus Fruits

【Objective】The South China region is abundant in water and heat resources but frequently suffers from seasonal droughts and numerous pests and diseases, which significantly impact the yield and quality of citrus fruits. This study investigated the effects of combined applications of alginate oligosa...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sijie SONG, Xiaoqi LIU, Shoujun XU, Songpo DUAN, Xin OUYANG, Jianlie SHEN, Jiangang YU, Hong SHEN
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences 2025-03-01
Series:Guangdong nongye kexue
Subjects:
Online Access:http://gdnykx.cnjournals.org/gdnykx/ch/reader/view_abstract.aspx?file_no=202503008
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:【Objective】The South China region is abundant in water and heat resources but frequently suffers from seasonal droughts and numerous pests and diseases, which significantly impact the yield and quality of citrus fruits. This study investigated the effects of combined applications of alginate oligosaccharides (AOS), potassium fertilizer (K), and water management on the main citrus varieties cultivated in South China, aiming to provide technical support for high-quality citrus production.【Method】Two independent experiments were conducted over two years using 'Jinqiushatangju', 'Seedless orah', and 'Hongjiang orange' as experimental materials. During the fruit expansion and maturation periods, the impacts of root application of AOS and K on citrus yield and quality were examined across four treatment groups: conventional fertilization (CK), root application of K, root application of AOS, and mixed root application of AOS and K (AOS+K). Additionally, the effects of combining AOS+K with water management on fruit yield and quality were studied, with four treatment groups: conventional fertilization (CK), AOS+K with 70%-80% water management (AOS+K+W80), AOS+K with 60%-70% water management (AOS+K+W70), and AOS+K with 50%-60% water management (AOS+K+W60).【Result】Compared to conventional fertilization, AOS+K treatment significantly increased the soluble sugar content and per-plant yield of the three citrus varieties by 4.57% to 7.52% and 9.54% to 13.13%, respectively. All indicators were better than those of the single application of AOS or K to the root, indicating a significant synergistic effect between AOS and K. Among the coupling techniques, AOS+K+W70 treatment improved fruit skin color and increased fruit diameter, particularly benefiting 'Jinqiushatangju' and 'Seedless Orah', with respective increases in per-plant yield of 13.69% and 10.65%. This treatment also significantly increased the soluble sugar and vitamin C content of the three citrus fruits, with increase rates ranging from 9.30% to 12.38% and 6.70% to 14.66%, respectively. Electronic nose analysis of volatile substances showed that AOS+K+W70 treatment maximized the relative content of nitrogen oxides, hydrogen sulfide, ethanol, aromatic components, and organic sulfides in citrus, promoting fruit ripening. Moreover, this coupling technique significantly enhanced the economic benefits of citrus cultivation.【Conclusion】The combined application of AOS and K through root irrigation with the management of soil moisture content at 60%-70%, is the most effective technique for increasing yield and improving quality in the three citrus varieties.
ISSN:1004-874X