Citrus nurseries and planting techniques

"Citrus nurseries and planting techniques" is a practical guide for nurserymen who propagate fruit plants or ornamental citrus and supply the market with certified elite/quality planting material. In addition to registered nurserymen, this manual is also intended for small-scale family nurseries in the tropics and subtropics, and amateurs fascinated by the beauty and symbolism of Citrus. This fully illustrated manual provides a detailed description of procedures for obtaining the optimum growth of rootstocks, prior to and after budding, and for transplanting the young grafted plants into the field. Each technical step is described in separate chapters with relevant illustrations of the recommended techniques. Both conventional outdoor propagation methods and more elaborate container-grown indoor methods are described. Specific aspects such as micrografting and microcutting are discussed together with general nursery practices ranging from the disinfection of pruning tools and of nursery surroundings to the mycorrhization, and the evaluation of the porosity or salinity of the growing media, etc.; concise tables assist any decision-making, e.g., in the choice of rootstocks, the assessment of pest and disease risks when budding, and, more generally, on the layout of nursery premises or citrus plantations. Black and white, and colour plates illustrate common mineral deficiency symptoms as well as diseases of economic incidence. This practical guide for citrus nurseries and planting techniques also includes, at the end of each chapter, an extensive and updated bibliography.