Performance of ‘Valencia Late’ Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis) on Different Rootstocks in the Gharb Region (Northwestern Morocco)

Abstract

Production and quality of citrus fruits depend largely on scion/rootstock compatibility. In order to find suitable combinations able to solve productivity problems of citrus at local scale, the performance of ‘Valencia late’ sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) on 14 rootstocks was studied under field conditions in the Gharb region (northwestern Morocco) through a field experiment. Total cumulative yield over five years of production was highest on Citrumelo 4475 (11) and PT B6 Z13 (5) compared to the other rootstocks. In terms of productivity, Citrumelo 4475 (11), Citrus volkameriana (25), Citrus macrophylla (24) and the Sunki mandarin x PT (16) and Sunki mandarin x PT (39) hybrids were the most efficient. Furthermore, this study revealed that the use of some rootstocks improved significantly juice content of Valencia late fruits. These included Citrus volkameriana (25), PT B6 CZ 24 (3), PT B6 CZ 13 (5), Cleopatra mandarin x CC (30), Sunki mandarin x PT (16), Citrumelo 4475 (11) and Citrumelo 1452 (41). Concerning juice quality, the study has identified rootstocks that enhanced both acid and sugar contents, namely Carrizo citrange (7), Sunki mandarin x PT (17), Citrumelo 1452 (41), Citrumelo 4475 (11), Sunki mandarin x PT (17), Sunki mandarin x PT (16) and PT B6 CZ 24 (3).