Fruit Distortion in Nagpur Mandarin (Citrus Reticulata Blanco): A Concern to be Addressed

The problem of fruit distortion, locally called waibar (irregular sized deformed fruits) in Nagpur mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) appeared in the past decade and in the last five years, this problem of fruit distortion in Nagpur mandarin has increased significantly. Distorted (waibar) fruit samples and normal fruit samples were collected from three orchards located in Ruikhed from Akola district, Paratwada and Anjangaon from Amravati district of Maharashtra, India. Physicochemical analysis was done in the Analytical Lab on the collected distorted and normal fruit samples and it was found that they have irregular shape and size, high rag content, high pomace content, thick and rough rind, less juice content, large core diameter, low TSS (total soluble solids), high acidity and low levels of sugars, which causes insipid taste and such fruits are not acceptable in the market which causes 40 to 50% heavy losses to the mandarin growers. Distorted fruit plants leaves were analyzed for nutrient content and found to be deficient in potassium (K) and zinc (Zn). The study highlights the importance of identifying and addressing the problem of fruit distortion in Nagpur mandarin. The physicochemical analysis of distorted fruits will help researchers and farmers in understand the and implement measures to reduce its incidence.