Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) is a fruit that contains large amounts of vitamin C. People commonly eat its fruit and drink its juice. Sweet orange contains large amounts of potassium, which might help prevent high blood pressure and stroke. The fruit and juice also contain large amounts of a chemical called citrate, which might help prevent kidney stones. Citrate tends to bind with calcium before it can form a stone.
Deep well drained loamy soils are the best for the cultivation of Citrus. The pH of soil should be 6.5 to 7.5 and EC of water less than 1.0. A dry climate with about 50 – 75 cm of rainfall from June – September and with well defined summer and winter season is ideal. Sweet orange comes up well in tropical zone below 500 m. The extreme of temperature are necessary for achieving higher yield.
Features of Sweet Orange
- People use sweet orange for asthma, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, the common cold, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support any of these uses.
- Budded plants are the best planting materials. (Root Stock - Rangpur lime and rough lemon is mostly preferred).
- Dig pits at 75 cm x 75 cm x 75 cm size at 7 x 7 m spacing. Fill up the pits with top soil and 10 kg of FYM. Plant the budded plants in the centre of the pits and stake it.
- Leaf minor can controlled by spraying Dichlorvos 76 WSC at the rate of 1 ml/lit or Dimethoate 30 EC 2 ml/lit or Fenthion 100 EC at the rate of 1 ml/lit at the rate of 1.5 ml/lit or 5% of neem seed kernel extract (NSKE) or neem cake extract or neem oil 3%.