Performance of early ripened varieties of ‘Sweet Orange’ in arid irrigated region of Punjab

Early maturing sweet orange varieties were evaluated during 2014–2018 and the data on leaf nutrient contents, growth, yield and fruit quality were analyzed. Leaf nutrient concentrations varied markedly among different varieties. Early Gold registered significantly higher canopy volume (34.4 m³) over other varieties (22.5–30.8 m³). Fruit yield was also significantly higher in Early Gold (42.3 kg/tree). In general, Early Gold showed overall superiority in term of juice content and quality characteristics over other tested sweet orange varieties, and hence has better perspectives in arid irrigated region of Punjab.