DEVELOPMENT OF LIME FRUIT (CITRUS AURANTIFOLIA SWINGLE) DURING THE PERIOD JULY-AUGUST IN NORTHERN GEZIRA STATE

Abstract

AN EXPERIMENT WAS CARRIED OUT AT A PRIVATE ORCHARD IN GAZIRA STATE AT ELBAGEAR, SOUTH OF KHARTOUM STATE. TO INVESTIGATE LIME(CITRUS AURANTIFOLIA SWINGLE) FRUIT DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE RECORDING OF INCREASING SIZE OF THE FRUITS DURING THE SEASON OF THE STUDY (JULY-AUGUST.-2008). THE EXPERIMENT WAS CONDUCTED IN A RANDOMIZED COMPLETE DESIGN WITH 12 TREATMENTS AND FOUR REPLICATES (TREES). THE RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENT SHOWED THAT THE HIGHEST VALUES OF DEVELOPMENT OF FRUITS OF LIME AND THE HIGHEST MEAN SIZE OF THE FRUIT OCCURRED DURING THE PERIOD OF DEVELOPMENT FROM THE FIRST WEEK TO THE NINTH WEEK. THE STATISTICAL COMPARISON FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE FRUITS FROM THE FIRST WEEK THROUGH THE NINTH WEEK SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN SIZE OF FRUITS IN THE FIRST WEEKS AND A NON-SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE FOLLOWING WEEKS. THE FIRST WEEK IS THE PERIOD OF CELL DIVISION AND INCREASE NUMBER WHILE THE LATER WEEKS WERE PERIODS OF FRUIT INCREASE IN SIZE BY CELL ENLARGEMENT AND CHANGE IN THE FRUIT QUALITY. IT IS THE STAGE OF FRUIT HARVESTING.