Quality Improvement in Citrus and Subtropical Products Res Site Logo
ARS Home About Us Helptop nav spacerContact Us En Espanoltop nav spacer
Printable VersionPrintable Version     E-mail this pageE-mail this page
Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture
Search
  Advanced Search
 
Programs and Projects
Subjects of Investigation
 

Research Project: RECOVERY OF VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS PERTAINING TO HEALTH AND FOOD USES FROM CITRUS PROCESSING WASTE

Location: Quality Improvement in Citrus and Subtropical Products Res

Title: Screening citrus rootstocks and related selections in soil and solution culture for tolerance to low-iron stress

Authors
item Castle, William -
item Nunnalee, James -
item Manthey, John

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: March 24, 2009
Publication Date: June 1, 2009
Citation: Castle, W.S., Nunnalee, J., Manthey, J.A. 2009. Screening citrus rootstocks and related selections in soil and solution culture for tolerance to low-iron stress. HortScience. 44(3):638-645.

Interpretive Summary: Iron deficiency can severely impact citrus cultivation in high-carbonate soils. A greenhouse method had been previously developed by one the authors (JAM) to detect tolerance to iron deficiency, and this new study applies this method to screen many different citrus rootstocks for iron deficiency tolerance. The effects of iron deficiency on plant growth characteristics and leaf color for these many rootstocks were monitored and correlated with the iron deficiency tolerances measured for these rootstocks. A wide range of responses and tolerances were observed and some possible taxonomic correlations were suggested by trends observed in this study.

Technical Abstract: A broad range of plant selections across the orange subfamily, Aurantioideae, were screened in solution and soil culture for their tolerance to low iron (Fe) stress tolerance. Young seedlings grown in soil were transferred to tubs of +Fe nutrient solution which was later replaced after a brief period with a –Fe solution. Over several trials, ca. 20 white root tips were harvested periodically from the plants in each tub and assayed for their ability to reduce Fe3+. The procedure was miniaturized to determine if a fewer number of root tips could be assayed in order to screen individual plants and to estimate the required sample size. For solution screening, seven root tips were estimated to be adequate for representing a single plant. Seedlings of a few selections were also grown in small containers of soil amended with 0% to 5.9% CaCO3. The results in solution and soil culture were consistent with each other and with previous assessments of the various selections. Based on a summary of the solution and soil responses, the citrus selections were grouped in descending order of Fe3+ reduction rates as Volkamer lemon/Rangpur/sour orange selections/Citrus macrophylla > mandarins and mandarin hybrids > citranges > citrumelos > trifoliate orange. Of the citrus relatives tested in solution culture only, those in the genera Glycosmis, Citropsis, Clausena, and Murraya had high Fe reduction rates with good seedling growth and new leaves developed a light yellow color or showed no loss of greenness. Other citrus relatives in the genera Severinia, Atalantia, and Fortunella and most somatic hybrids had low seedling vigor and produced too few root tips to be properly assessed. The results are useful because of the breadth of selections screened, the taxonomic relationships revealed, the identification of various citrus relatives as potential sources of low-Fe stress tolerance in breeding new rootstocks, and the apparent positive relationship between the Fe3+ reduction responses, soil screening responses and known selections with carbonate-induced Fe chlorosis responses.

   

 
Project Team
Manthey, John
Luzio, Gary
Widmer, Wilbur - Bill
Cameron, Randall - Randy
 
Publications
   Publications
 
Related National Programs
  Quality and Utilization of Agricultural Products (306)
 
 
Last Modified: 05/24/2013
ARS Home | USDA.gov | Site Map | Policies and Links 
FOIA | Accessibility Statement | Privacy Policy | Nondiscrimination Statement | Information Quality | USA.gov | White House