AGRICULTURAL INOCULANTS CORPORATION

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CULTURAL PRACTICE FOR CITRUS

(Oranges, Pomelo, Calamansi, Tangerines, Mandarins, etc.)

A. Land Preparation and Planting

1. Determine soil pH in the area to be planted. In case soil pH is below 5 add 2 to

2.5 tons of lime per hectare to adjust pH by one count. Citrus can be grown from
clay loam to sandy soils.

2. Plow the field using a tractor or by means of an animal-drawn moldboard plow.

Plow and harrow twice or until a good tilth is obtained.

3. Construct holes on the ridge following this prescribed distances: 3m x 4m for

calamansi and 5m x 6m for pomelo, oranges, tangerine and other citrus plants.
Holes must be 50 to 60 cm in diameter and about the same depth. for calamansi
and 70 to 80 cm (both diameter and depth) for the other citrus plants are
preferable to allow enough room for root development. The ridge should at least
be 50 cm higher than the level of the soil between the rows.

4. Mix equal amounts of organic fertilizer and the soil taken from the hole. Use this
mixture in replacing the hole during planting.

5. Remove the polyethylene plastic bag carefully or tear the bottom section. Place
the balled seedlings into the prepared holes, then replace with the soil/organic
fertilizer mixture. For calamansi the seedlings must at least be 6 months old at
the time of planting and for the other citrus plants, 10 to 12 months old.

B. Care and Management of the Plants

1. Thirty (30) days after planting , spray the plants with foliar fertilizer at the rate of
0.67% solution by volume. This is attained by mixing 1 liter of the foliar
fertilizer with 160 liters of water. If necessary, mix the appropriate crop
protection chemicals (e.g. insecticide or fungicide) to protect the young plants
from harmful pests and diseases.

Important: Use only biological, herbal or biodegradable crop protection

chemicals.
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2. Repeat spraying the mixture mentioned in Step B-1 at 30-day intervals to provide
the plants with adequate amounts of nutrients especially trace minerals and
growth-promotants for better growth and development.
3. Side dress with 2 to 3 bags of 14-14-14 inorganic fertilizer per hectare at 45 DAP
by placing the fertilizer around the base at a distance extending up to almost the
edge of the crown.

4. Side dress with 2 bags of urea (46-0-0) per hectare at 135 DAP using the same
method as in Step B-3.

5. Side dress with a mixture of 1 bag of urea (46-0-0) and 1 bag of 14-14-14
inorganic fertilizer at 255 DAP using the same method as in Step B-4.

6. Apply 20 to 25 bags of organic fertilizer per hectare one year after the first
application, also using the same method in applying the inorganic fertilizer. It is
also advisable to adopt split application, ½ of the total amount of organic
fertilizer prescribed above applied every other 6 months.

7. From time to time unproducive branches or twigs must be pruned or cut.

8. Also watch for the occurrence/presence of pests and diseases. Prevention is the
more practical way of avoiding/eradicating them. If it is necessary to apply any
crop protection chemical and mix it with the foliar fertilizer so as to save on labor
cost.

C. Harvesting

1. Calamansi may bear fruit within one year from planting. When the plants are
ready for fruiting, a month before inflorescense spray the crown with flower
inducer using 1% mixture (1 kg of the flower inducer for every 100 liters of
water).

2. When the fruits are mungbean size (2 to 3 mm), spray the crown with fruit set/
developer using 0.67% solution (1 liter of the fruit set for every 160 liters of
water).

3. When the fruits are about corn kernel size ( 1 cm ), spray the crown with fruit
enlarger also using 0.67% solution.
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4. Side dress the plants with 2 bags of muriate of potash (0-0-60) per hectare by
placing the fertilizer around the plant just below the crown.

5. When the fruits are marble size (1.5 to 2 cm), spray the crown with fruit enlarger
using the same concentration as in Step B-3.

6. Repeat Step B-5 when the fruits are 2 to 2.5 cm in size.

Note: The other citrus plants will have the same care/management practice only the
timing/frequency of treatments will be adjusted accordingly.