PJB-2021-221
Structural and functional attributes of Citrus reticulata Blanco under diverse soil and environmental conditions
Amina Ameer, Sahar Mumtaz, Naila Asghar, Mansoor Hameed, Farooq Ahmad, Athar Mahmood, Maria Naqve, Mehwish Naseer and Muhammad Azeem
Abstract
Citrus reticulata Blanco (Family Rutaceae) also known as mandarin orange is a small citrus tree. It acquired vital position in fruit industry worldwide, as well as in Pakistan. Citrus plants from six different habitats of Punjab were explored to investigate the structural and functional modifications in response to diverse soil and climatic conditions. C. reticulata revealed specific anatomical and physiological changes relating to the rhizosphere and environmental circumstances. Plants from low rain-fall habitats showed thicker stems, larger cortical cells and broader xylem vessels for maximum water conservation. Plants of slightly saline habitats exhibited enhanced accumulation of osmolytes and calcium, narrow vessels, larger pith cells and well-developed waxy layer to prevent water loss under physiological drought. Plants of Bhalwal revealed maximum biomass production and highest fruit yield due to favorable soil conditions like good saturation percentage, higher uptake of K+ and Ca2+. Some anatomical and physiological modifications such as greater accumulation of osmolytes, efficient photosynthetic attributes, thicker stem and wider vessels result in better growth in Bhalwal. Plants of investigated sites demonstrated moderate capability of structural and functional changes relating to the soil composition because fruit yield of slightly saline, poorly irrigated and low rainfall habitats declined to greater extent. Citrus plants require good soil composition and better environmental conditions, so higher fruit yield can be obtained by cultivating plants in well-irrigated and slightly acidic soil
To Cite this article:
Ameer, A., S. Mumtaz, N. Asghar, M. Hameed, F. Ahmad, A. Mahmood, M. Naqve, M. Naseer and M. Azeem. 2023. Structural and functional attributes of Citrus reticulata Blanco under diverse soil and environmental conditions. Pak. J. Bot., 55(1): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2023-1(37)
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