Productivity and physico-chemical characteristics of 'Tahiti' acid fruits under different microsprinkler arrangements

Abstract

An adequate water management and irrigation system are important points to be considered for yield maximization and fruit quality of 'Tahiti' acid lemon in semi arid. The work focused in evaluation of the influence of different microsprinkler systems on yield and on physical chemical characteristics of fruits, in the different quadrants of the plant, of 'Tahiti' lemon acid orchard, with four years and planted at spacing of 5.0 x 7.0 m. The work followed a randomized block design with three treatments and six replications. Three arrangements of microsprinkler were: T1 - one emitter for each plant, located between plants along plant row; T2 - one emitter for two plants, located between plants along plant row; and T3 - one emitter for each plant, located at 0,3 m distant from the plant. The mean productivity values were signiï¬cantly different between the treatments T2 (19.506 kg ha ) and T1 (13.545 kg ha ). Fruits from T3 and T2 presented higher ascorbic acid contents than fruits from the treatment T1. The values of soluble solids, mean fruit weight and citric acid showed signiï¬cant differences among the quadrants of the plant, demonstrating the influence of the arrangement of the microsprinklers on the physical chemical parameters of the fruits of the 'Tahiti' acid lemon, under semi arid conditions of cultivation.