Best citrus cultivation
Oranges are a mountainous community, yet they thrive on the warm, sunny coast and the fertile soil. In Tanzania regions like the Coast, Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Mtwara, Lindi, and Morogoro are popular for this farming. Citrus fruits are also eaten by humans to supplement the body's vitamins.
Weather.
Oranges can grow in hot and even cold places. As with other citrus fruits, in order to get a good crop it must grow oranges at a temperature of 15.5c - 29c.
Preparing seeds.
Oranges in the first place collect the mountain seeds from the ripe lemons and preferably ripen into a fig tree, dry the seeds and then release the outer shell to germinate well.
Preparing the nursery.
Prepare your nursery well with a plow, then mix with compost or manure fertilizer after drying your seeds and cover them with soil about half a centimeter, then water daily and after 3 - 6 weeks the seeds will start sprouting, after seedlings up to 3 - 5 centimeters, the seedlings should be transferred to well-drained and well-drained packets and placed in moderate shade.
Tying seedlings.
Seedlings at an average height of 30 - 45 centimeters are tied to get oranges. For citrus there are two main varieties in Tanzania namely Jaffer and Valencia. Jaffer is easy to support because its stalks are large and open to the trees, their trees are large and they bear fruit but they are very susceptible to the harsh sun and their fruit falls, as well as their oranges growing very fast while the bad market ends in the fall. Vlencia is a medium-sized tree, the stalks are not clear so it works for the producers (they do not like it) it has moderate yields and is almost drought-prone and its fruits do not burn quickly.
Planting.
After the placement admits you can prepare your garden by digging holes, fertilizing and waiting for the rainy season, the seedlings should be planted as soon as the first rains fall, the planting distance is 8 * 8 meters for Jaffer and 5 * 8 meters for Valencia.
Weeding and fertilizer use.
Cultivation should take place no less than 2 - 4 times a year and if the seedlings are 3 years old you can clean up to three years you can clean the saucers and slash the other parts. In the compost, put one to two ripe manure into the hole, mix the compost with the first soil from the pit, if used in industrial fertilizers such as DAP, TSP, NPK and Miijingu Phosphate, mix the manure with top soil.
The seed.
From three years the seedlings will start flowering and give birth after five years, and the seedlings continue to produce up to 25 - 30 years since being planted.
Diseases and pests in citrus.
Diseases.
1. Sores in the trunk.
It is brought about by some kind of fog. Symptoms of this disease are from the part of the trunk that changes color.
Symptoms; It increases in size and subsequently produces weeds.
Confirmation; It happens mostly in the soil that drains the water.
2. Dry tree disease.
It is caused by a virus that is transmitted by black lice.
Symptoms; Part of the stem withers and bursts into it, then the plant slowly weakens and produces small fruits, and the leaves suddenly turn yellow.
3. Illness of orange as they age.
They occur mainly in the central highlands and spread by the germs called psyllids, as well as by taking clumps and hanging from trees that show signs of disease.
Symptoms; It occurs yellowish on the leaves, the fruits are also very bitter and yellow.
Prevention
Areas where the disease can occur look at the insects as a lice. Make sure these pests do not attack seedlings in the nursery. When they are present, the leaves show bending by placing the knots at the top. Also avoid taking scratches from trees with symptoms of the disease.
Insects:
1. White fly.
These are insects that stay on the leaves of plants breeding and absorbing plant nutrients, and this causes the plant to stun and produce poor yields.
Prevention
The safest way is to grow the Cales noacki pests that feed on these white flies and prevent their spread.
2. Pesticides (aphids).
These are black pests that stay on the leaves of plants breeding and ingesting plant nutrients, and they also cause the plant to stun and produce poor yields.
Prevention
Use insectside insecticide.
Harvest
Oranges are ready to be harvested 3 - 4 months after planting. Harvesting is by hand or using a harvest basket.
Save
Oranges are stored in a clean air-conditioned warehouse. Warehouse should be built out to allow fresh air to freeze.
Market
The domestic and overseas market exists. Large quantities of oranges are used locally, also sold in neighboring countries. The price of orange is 200 - 300 shillings each and up to 500 arrives depending on the seasonal variety.
