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Rangpur lime nursery rootstock seedlings Photo: Sajal's Gallery · Pexels License · source ↗

Rangpur lime rootstock

Rangpur lime (Citrus x limonia, locally also called jambhiri or jamberi) is the default budding rootstock for sweet orange in Andhra Pradesh and across much of central and southern India. It is the rootstock under almost every commercial Sathgudi (Sathgudi Sweet Orange) tree in the YSR Kadapa belt and a major rootstock under Mosambi (Citrus Mosambi Sweet Lime) in Marathwada. ICAR-CCRI Nagpur evaluates and maintains the seed-source mother blocks that supply commercial nurseries.

What it is and where it comes from

Rangpur lime is not a true lime — it is an acid mandarin-citron hybrid producing small, orange, very acid fruit that are not commercially eaten. Its value lies entirely below ground: a vigorous, deep-spreading root system that confers drought tolerance, salinity tolerance, easy nursery establishment and a uniform scion canopy. The rootstock originated in north-east India / Bangladesh (Rangpur district, hence the name) and is now grown worldwide; until citrus tristeza virus collapsed the rootstock in Florida and Brazil it was the dominant world rootstock.

Why it is used in Andhra Pradesh

Rangpur lime suits the conditions of the YSR Kadapa, Anantapur and Chittoor citrus belts for four reasons. First, it tolerates the dry, hot summers and shallow red-gravelly kankar soils of Rayalaseema better than most alternative rootstocks, including the otherwise excellent sour orange and trifoliate. Second, it produces uniform, plump nursery seedlings that bud readily with Sathgudi or Mosambi at 8-10 months of age, simplifying nursery operations. Third, Sathgudi and Mosambi on Rangpur lime begin commercial bearing in year 4-5 and crop heavily through years 8-15, which suits the typical 15-20 year YSR Kadapa orchard cycle. Fourth, it tolerates moderate salinity, an important consideration in bore-well-irrigated Rayalaseema orchards where groundwater salinity has been rising.

Limitations

Rangpur lime is highly susceptible to citrus tristeza virus (CTV) decline and to Phytophthora gummosis (Citrus Gummosis). India's CTV strains have so far been less aggressive than the Florida and Brazil strains, but the rootstock is a long-term risk wherever CTV pressure rises and a single bad CTV outbreak can collapse an entire orchard belt. Phytophthora susceptibility is the more immediate problem in Rayalaseema and is the principal reason that deep planting (burying the bud union) must be avoided. Rangpur lime is intolerant of waterlogged or heavy black soils. It also offers limited tolerance to citrus nematode (Tylenchulus semipenetrans).

Alternative rootstocks

ICAR-CCRI Nagpur and YSR Horticultural University evaluate several alternatives for AP sweet orange:

  • Jamberi (rough lemon, C. jambhiri) — similar to Rangpur in vigour, slightly more Phytophthora tolerant, but similarly susceptible to CTV.
  • Sour orange (C. aurantium) — excellent for Mosambi quality but susceptible to CTV.
  • Trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) and its hybrids (Carrizo, Troyer citranges) — CTV-tolerant and confer good fruit quality, but trifoliate is poorly adapted to high-pH and hot dryland conditions.
  • X-639 (a Cleopatra x trifoliate hybrid) — a newer evaluation showing promise in semi-arid YSR Kadapa.

A rootstock matrix for Sathgudi orchards typically pairs Rangpur lime on well-drained red gravelly soils with one of these alternatives on heavier or more disease-pressured sites.

Nursery handling

Rangpur lime seeds are extracted from indexed mother trees at ICAR-CCRI and certified nurseries, washed, treated with bavistin and sown in raised polybeds. Seedlings are transplanted to 6 x 9 inch polybags at the four-leaf stage and budded with the chosen scion (Sathgudi or Mosambi) when the stock attains pencil thickness, generally at 8-10 months. Budded plants are field-planted with the bud union 15-20 cm above ground level to minimise Phytophthora infection.

See also: Sathgudi Sweet Orange, Citrus Gummosis, Citrus Greening HLB Candidatus.

Sources

  1. Citrus Rootstocks. ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute, Nagpur.
  2. Citrus Rootstocks for India — Evaluation and Use. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences.
  3. Rangpur Lime. CABI Compendium.