Impact of improved package of practices for Mandarin orange those are grown on unsuitable soil

Introduction
Among, Horticulture enterprise, orange is the primary fruit crop of the district and famous Nagpur mandarin is grown. The trend analysis of the crop through PRA revealed that the area under orange is increasing rapidly, as the farmers prefer this crop. Due to this craze even unsuitable soils are also brought under plantation of this crop. It is also, due to traditional mentality of the farmers. However, the productivity of oranges is decreasing day by day, due to water logging, irregular bearing, fungal diseases, declining and other pest and diseases and improper management practices.
The non-suitable soils means the soil not follow the characteristic of the required soil for Nagpur mandarin. Soil is the major factor for determining the success or failure of citrus plantation. Citrus should never be planted on the assumption that a soil which
can support a good cereal or others cash crop, is equally suitable for citrus. Some of the soil properties, which govern the successful cultivation of citrus, are: soil reaction, presence of free lime, excessive salts, defective drainage, presence of hard pan in the sub-surface, soil texture, soil fertility interaction and topographic position of the soil. This situation had stressed to initiate the location specific problem solving practices.
Therefore, there was a need to revise the existing cultivation practices by various level of package of practices under field condition in related to soil reclimination and trees’ rejuvenation. Hence, this study was carried out.

Result and Recommendation:
The study reveal that, the application of 10 kg vermicompost and 3 kg neem cake per tree coupled with furrow drainage system between 2 rows before onset of monsoon and double ring irrigation method had improved the soil and leaf nutrient status, flowering, fruit set, tree volume resulting in higher production of Nagpur mandarin fruits.

Hence, it is suggested that the orange grower planted on non-suitable soils, should apply recommended dose of fertilizer along with above treatments for getting higher production and quality.

Impact :
The impact of this study revealed that the treated orchard with Superior treatment improved the tree volume which impart the rate of photosynthesis ultimately the good fruiting with better quality, reduces the fruit drop also reduces the decline and protected from   phytophora disease and improving the soil drainage with fertile soil.
The overall impact of this the increases the yield by 5 to 7 tons per ha in a two year which resulted that the net income per ha was increase by Rs. 25000 to 30000. Also, there is Potential to increase the per unit production by maintaining the proper cultivation practices with innovative technique. So, now days benefited farmers   totally adopted the resulted technique and improved the production as well as net return from its growing orchard .i.e the full same technique vertically adopted by the 20-25% orange grower those are grown on unsuitable soil. But, the horizontally the same technique adopted by the 33-35% orange grower partially which generally improved the soil fertility as well as Plant and fruit quality.