LIBRO-CONGRESO-CITRUS

S11
cost and thereby increase the profit margin in production of citrus fruit for processing. However, adoption of
mechanical harvesting requires a major effort in the selection and adaptation of existing equipment, as well as
in the design of the plantations. In 2009, several field experiments using two continuous canopy shake systems,
OXBO 3210 and OXBO 3220, were conducted in unadapted citrus orchards to evaluate the effect of harvester
amplitude (CPMs) and harvester speed on fruit removal efficiency, tree damage and fruit quality. The results
suggest that a suitable adaptation of citrus plantations (continuous hedgerows with high canopy and bottom
canopy pruned to a height of 1 m above the ground) together with an appropriate calibration of the equipment,
would allow to obtain high fruit removal efficiency without causing considerable damage to the tree or affect
the physical integrity of the fruits for processing. Mechanical harvesting had no effect on internal fruit quality.
S11P11
Production seasonality of ‘Tahiti’ lime in three consecutive harvests under semiarid climatic
conditions
Maia V.M., Álvarez J.M., Oliveira F.S., Gomes F.H.C., Azpiazú I., and Salles B.P.A.
Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros (UNIMONTES), Ciências Agrárias, Brasil. victor.maia@unimontes.br
Cultivation of ‘Tahiti’ lime is increasing significantly in the Minas Gerais State, due to its good adaptation
to the semiarid climate of the region. This work aimed to evaluate the seasonality of irrigated ‘Tahiti’ lime
production using three consecutive harvests under semiarid conditions. The experiment was conducted in a
commercial orchard, located in Northern Minas Gerais (altitude of 449 m, latitude 15°05’34”S, and longitude
43°58’44”W). The orchard was planted in January 2007 and the trees started producing in December 2008.
The evaluations were made when fruits were harvested, starting the beginning of December 2008 until
December 2011. All the fruits from all the trees were collected weekly, obtaining the total yield for each month
throughout the year. These fruits were harvested when they reached a diameter of 54 mm. Determinations
were made of total production, yield, and fruit was sorted for export, domestic market and discards. Total
yield was calculated by adding the weight of the fruits intended for the export, that for the domestic markets
and that for the discards for each month. Production of ‘Tahiti’ lime occurs in all months of the year under
semiarid climatic conditions. The yield obtained in the first, second and third year of production was 11,611,
8,809 and 12,102 Kg∙ha -1 , respectively. There are peaks of production in May, June and November.
Support: FAPEMIG.
S11P12
Enhancement of citrus value chain production in Pakistan and Australia under the AusAid Program
Khurshid T. 1 , Ahmad I. 2 , Jaskani M.J. 3 , Nabi G. 4 , Tahir T. 5 , Ali W. 5 , Rahman A. 6 , Khan M.A. 7 , and Rahman H. 5
1 Dareton Primary Industries Institute (DPII), New South Wales. Department of Primary Industries, Australia; 2 FAO Representation NARC
Premises Park Road Islamabad (FAO), Program Development, Islamabad; 3 University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF), Horticulture,
Pakistan; 4 Agriculture Research Institute, Tarnab (ARI), Horticulture, Pakistan; 5 National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC),
Horticulture, Pakistan; 6 Citrus Research Institute, Sargodha (CRI), Citrus Physiology, Pakistan; 7 Fruit and Vegetable Development
Project (FVDP), Horticulture, Pakistan. tahir.khurshid@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Citrus is a major fruit crop in Pakistan, and ‘Kinnow’ mandarin is the dominant cultivar. Currently 53% of
citrus fruit produced in Pakistan is consumed domestically, and ca. 10% is exported. A small proportion is
processed, and postharvest losses are high. Export of ‘Kinnow’ mandarin from Pakistan is trending upwards,
but the industry’s capacity to supply export markets is limited. A constraints analysis conducted under the
auspices of the Agricultural Sector Linkages Program during 2006 suggested that the development of the
Pakistan citrus industry was constrained by poor nursery practices, dependence on a limited range of varieties,
poor irrigation and crop management practices. A project led by NSW DPI and collaborative organizations
in Pakistan including, the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, Islamabad, the Citrus Research Institute,
Sargodha, the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, the Agriculture Research Institute, Tarnab, Peshawar and
Fruit and Vegetable Development Project, Lahore has been funded by AusAid to increase citrus production
in Pakistan through transfer of improved orchard management techniques. The overall aim of this project is
to improve mandarin and orange productivity in Pakistan through germplasm transfer to extend the growing
184 - VALENCIA CONFERENCE CENTER, 18th-23rd NOVEMBER 2012