Global citrus nutrition research: an incisive analysis

Citrus fruits are produced in many countries around the world, although production shows geographical concentration in certain areas, but still citrus fruits rank first in international fruit trade in terms of value, evolving from a producer-driven to a more consumer-oriented market. In the backdrop of demography-driven diminishing per availability of arable land, plant nutrition has gained phenomenal significance in meeting the challenge of sustaining productivity over changing resource outputs. Indeed, from soil and plant diagnosis to suggestions for appropriate fertilizer applications, current levels of citrus production would never have been possible without the knowledge of plant nutrition. A definite credit in this context could be accredited to developments in analytical techniques in both leaf and juice analysis. Of late, trunk nutrition gained some momentum where conventional methods of nutrient supply have not been able to put forth the desired results spaced over time. In addition, proximal sensing of nutrient stress and spectrum of soil enzymes as dictum of soil fertility changes have further provided some authoritative progress towards precise diagnosis of nutrient stresses. Such breakthroughs will go a long way in developing early warning system in the years to come to enable the redressal to genesis of any nutritional disorder within current growth cycle of crop.