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Crops in this Family: Orange, Lime, Lemon, Grapefruit, Kumquat, Mandarin, Calamansi
Below is a tissue nutrient sufficiency table for the Citrus Family (Rutaceae), which includes crops like orange (Citrus sinensis), lemon (Citrus limon), and grapefruit (Citrus paradisi). This table provides macro- and micronutrient sufficiency ranges, leaf water content (LWC), and Brix values across key growth stages. The values are based on leaf tissue analysis (typically 4- to 7-month-old spring flush leaves from non-fruiting terminals, as is standard in citrus diagnostics) and are derived from agricultural research, such as guidelines from the University of Florida, California Citrus Research Board, and other citrus-growing regions, adjusted for Rutaceae physiology.
Growth stages are defined as:
- Vegetative Growth (spring flush to pre-bloom)
- Flowering (bloom)
- Fruit Set (post-bloom to early fruit development)
- Fruit Maturation (fruit growth to harvest)
- Harvest
Nutrient concentrations are in percentages (%) for macronutrients and parts per million (ppm) for micronutrients, with LWC as a percentage of fresh weight and Brix (°Bx) as soluble solids in leaf sap (not fruit juice Brix, which is a separate quality metric).
| Growth Stage |
N (%) |
P (%) |
K (%) |
Mg (%) |
Ca (%) |
S (%) |
||||||
|
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
|
|
Vegetative |
2.50 |
2.80 |
0.12 |
0.16 |
1.00 |
1.50 |
0.30 |
0.60 |
2.50 |
3.50 |
0.20 |
0.30 |
|
Flowering |
2.40 |
2.70 |
0.12 |
0.16 |
1.00 |
1.50 |
0.30 |
0.60 |
2.50 |
3.50 |
0.20 |
0.30 |
|
Fruit Set |
2.40 |
2.70 |
0.10 |
0.14 |
1.20 |
1.70 |
0.30 |
0.60 |
2.50 |
3.50 |
0.20 |
0.30 |
|
Fruit Maturation |
2.20 |
2.50 |
0.10 |
0.14 |
1.20 |
1.70 |
0.30 |
0.60 |
2.50 |
3.50 |
0.20 |
0.30 |
|
Harvest |
2.00 |
2.50 |
0.10 |
0.12 |
1.00 |
1.50 |
0.30 |
0.60 |
2.00 |
3.00 |
0.10 |
0.25 |
|
B (ppm) |
Zn (ppm) |
Mn (ppm) |
Fe (ppm) |
Cu (ppm) |
Mo (ppm) |
|||||||
|
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
|
|
Vegetative |
25 |
100 |
25 |
100 |
25 |
100 |
60 |
120 |
5 |
16 |
0.10 |
1.00 |
|
Flowering |
25 |
100 |
25 |
100 |
25 |
100 |
60 |
120 |
5 |
16 |
0.10 |
1.00 |
|
Fruit Set |
25 |
100 |
25 |
100 |
25 |
100 |
60 |
120 |
5 |
16 |
0.10 |
1.00 |
|
Fruit Maturation |
25 |
100 |
25 |
100 |
25 |
100 |
60 |
120 |
5 |
16 |
0.10 |
1.00 |
|
Harvest |
20 |
80 |
20 |
75 |
20 |
75 |
50 |
100 |
4 |
10 |
0.10 |
1.00 |
|
LWC |
BRIX |
|||||||||||
|
Min |
Max |
Min |
Max |
|||||||||
|
Vegetative |
80 |
85 |
8 |
12 |
||||||||
|
Flowering |
78 |
83 |
10 |
14 |
||||||||
|
Fruit Set |
77 |
82 |
12 |
16 |
||||||||
|
Fruit Maturation |
75 |
80 |
8 |
12 |
||||||||
|
Harvest |
70 |
75 |
8 |
12 |
||||||||
Scanning Recommendation:
- Leaf selection should be similar to that of the Citrus model.
- Nutrient and LWC data are from 4- to 7-month-old spring flush leaves from non-fruiting terminals.
- Ensure that 25%+ of the scan bed is covered with a single layer of vegetation.
