In this episode, AgroTroia's "Success in Agriculture" program was a guest at a lemon orchard in Çeşmeli, Erdemli, Mersin. With the participation of AgroTroia dealer Ali Koca, agricultural engineers Cemal Kurt and Abdullah, and growers, plant nutrition in lemon and in citrus in general was discussed. An orchard that had suffered yield problems for years and looked almost completely yellow increasing its yield several-fold with programmed applications once again revealed the importance of the right company and nutrition program in lemon.
More Yield with Low Inputs
The orchard owner explained that in his orchard, which for years had not produced, a visible yield increase occurred after applications begun with Combi and root-applied Fors, then continued a month later with Activo and Copperas. According to what the engineer conveyed, although the amount of product used per decare was less than with conventional products, yield increased; one grower shared that in his orchard yield increased two to two and a half fold while his cost dropped by half. The core message of the program was getting more, higher-quality produce from less land and with fewer inputs.
Trunk Application Against Dieback and Phytophthora
Among the most common diseases in lemon, dieback, phytophthora, scab, rust, and thrips stand out. Dieback is a fungal disease; it advances from the vascular bundles toward the plant, and although the first symptoms are seen as dieback at the branch tips, by the time it is noticed it has mostly descended to the trunk. For this reason, cutting only the dried part is not enough; the fight must continue. AgroTroia's solution is the trunk application of Activo with phosphoric acid: by opening the vascular bundles, the narrowed conducting channels are cleaned and the disease is prevented. The program drew attention to the risk of metallic coppers in terms of phytotoxicity and human health, recommending nutritional applications in their place instead; it was emphasized that pruning tools should be disinfected on each tree with bleach and that pruning should not be done before rain.
Iron, Magnesium, Boron, and Zinc Deficiencies
One of the biggest problems in lemon orchards is chlorosis, that is, iron deficiency in the leaves. The areas between the veins are yellow, while the veins stay green. Because iron is difficult to take up in the region's alkaline, high-pH soils, the use of liquid sulfur as a local pH reducer before iron application is recommended; in the orchard, Liquid S80 is used for this purpose. In iron application, Hierro stands out. Magnesium deficiency shows itself with yellowish interveinal spots on old leaves, while manganese shows itself on young shoots; the two should not be confused. In boron deficiency, the leaf breaks with a "snap" when bent; post-harvest use of boron is the most ideal for the orchard. When phosphorus is locked up due to high pH, zinc also cannot be taken up, and rosetting is seen at the shoot tips; when analysis shows zinc below 25 ppm, zinc can be applied via leaf and soil with Nitrozinc.
Soil Analysis and Correct Fertilization
The engineer emphasized that the mindset of "I must apply fertilizer every year" is wrong. First, soil and leaf analysis should be done and what the tree needs should be determined. The soil sample should be taken not from a single point of the orchard but from at least 15-16 separate points including the inner sections, and analyzed separately. Otherwise, the money of the farmer who applies whatever fertilizer comes to hand stays in the soil. It was noted that Bordeaux mixture is not used on evergreen citrus and olive, and that heavy metallic coppers are harmful both to the plant and to groundwater and human health.
Fruit Set and Staged Harvest
During the flowering period, with Activo and Aminado, the flower sets into a bud more easily, and pollination and fruit set increase. It was explained that Fors ensures homogeneous fruit growth, so the caliber grows consistently and the orchard's load is lifted early, giving the opportunity to prepare for the next year. Staged harvest in lemon is based on harvesting fruit as it grows, batch by batch. It was emphasized that nutrition is in fact a form of protection, and that the Copperas application sheds light on preparing the tree for the cold snaps and winter period.
Featured AgroTroia products in this episode
Activo - trunk application, fruit set, and pollination support
Copperas - protection against dieback and preparation for winter
Fors - homogeneous fruit growth and cost-lowering nutrition
Combi - recovering the orchard with balanced nutrition
Aminado - amino acid support in flowering and fruit set
Liquid S80 - local pH-reducing liquid sulfur in alkaline soil
Hierro - iron support against iron deficiency and chlorosis
Nitrozinc - zinc support against zinc deficiency and rosetting
This orchard in Erdemli showed that even a yellowed, unproductive lemon grove can reach several-fold yield through soil-analysis-based, low-input, programmed nutrition. Trunk application in dieback and phytophthora, correct diagnosis of micronutrient deficiencies, and a cost-lowering approach bring results that make both the grower and the dealer smile in lemon.
Source: AgroTroia – "Success in Agriculture" program, sponsored by AgroTroia.