Winter fruit مالٹا

Citrus

Kinnow mandarin — the Sargodha belt and the winter export window.

Type: Perennial
Flowering: Feb – Apr
Harvest: Dec – Feb
Bearing from: Year 4–5

Grown in: Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Windows are indicative and shift with district, altitude and season.

Overview

Why citrus matters

Citrus, dominated by the Kinnow mandarin, is centred on the Sargodha and Bhalwal belt of Punjab. Fruit quality and export grade depend heavily on orchard sanitation and disciplined post-harvest handling.

Ripe oranges on the tree in a well-tended orchard

Growing conditions

Climate and soil

Climate

Subtropical with hot summers and cool, dry winters. A cool spell before harvest develops the colour and sugar-to-acid balance buyers pay for.

Soil

Well-drained sandy loam to loam, pH 6.0–7.5, free of salinity and with a deep water table. Citrus is intolerant of waterlogging.

Planting & sowing

Plant budded plants on rough lemon or sour orange rootstock in February to March or September to October at 6×6 m spacing.

Irrigation

Irrigate every 10–15 days in summer and every 20–25 days in winter. Basin or drip irrigation keeps water off the trunk and limits gummosis.

Fertilisation

For a mature tree, about 600 g N, 300 g P₂O₅ and 400 g K₂O per year plus 40 kg farmyard manure, applied in two to three splits. Correct zinc, iron and manganese deficiencies by foliar spray.