Potassium and methionine mitigate the alternate bearing of Balady mandarin via reducing gibberellins and increasing salicylic acid and auxins

Abstract Alternate bearing (AB) is a major challenge for citrus orchards. Increasing yield in one season (On year) leads to more seeds (fruits) as a supplier of gibberellins, which delay harvesting with low fruit quality and also decreases flowering and fruiting in the next season (Off year). So, th...

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Main Authors: Ayman EA Shaban, Mohammed IM El-Banna, Ahmed AbdelHady Rashedy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-06-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04943-z
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author Ayman EA Shaban
Mohammed IM El-Banna
Ahmed AbdelHady Rashedy
author_facet Ayman EA Shaban
Mohammed IM El-Banna
Ahmed AbdelHady Rashedy
author_sort Ayman EA Shaban
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Alternate bearing (AB) is a major challenge for citrus orchards. Increasing yield in one season (On year) leads to more seeds (fruits) as a supplier of gibberellins, which delay harvesting with low fruit quality and also decreases flowering and fruiting in the next season (Off year). So, the aim of this study is improving Balady mandarin fruit quality as well as accelerating fruit harvesting during the On year via foliar nourishments with potassium citrate (KC) or nitrate (KN) at 0.5% incorporated with either methionine (M) at 0.2% or sulphur (S) at 0.3%, twice two months before harvest (at flower bud induction time). The results indicated that, during On year, all treatments accelerate harvesting date, improve fruit weight, yield, fruit quality with a highly significant effect for KC + M treatment compared to the control. Moreover, this treatment increased fruit yield by 20.72% and 33.74%, for the first and the second On years, respectively. The most promising effect for KC + M is decreasing gibberellins levels during December (flower bud induction) in On year by 7& 19.4% and during January (before flowering) in Off year by 19.4% and 17.44%. Moreover, it increased both salicylic acid and auxin in the following Off year (before flowering) by 17.44%, 42.9 and 40%, respectively. This findings led to increase fruit number by 272.64% and 267.94%, and fruit yield by 251.3% and 289.65% for the following two off-year as well as decreasing AB by 61.7% and 61.67%. This study highlights the efficiency role of KC as a key for improving fruit quality during On year where heavy fruit load, as well as M application for overcoming AB as anti-gibberellins agent via accelerating harvesting in On year and enhances flowering in the following Off year via hormonal control.
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spelling doaj-art-92a21c9ac30f48c996876180124f74bb2025-08-20T02:37:14ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-06-0115111210.1038/s41598-025-04943-zPotassium and methionine mitigate the alternate bearing of Balady mandarin via reducing gibberellins and increasing salicylic acid and auxinsAyman EA Shaban0Mohammed IM El-Banna1Ahmed AbdelHady Rashedy2Pomology department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo UniversityPomology department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo UniversityPomology department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo UniversityAbstract Alternate bearing (AB) is a major challenge for citrus orchards. Increasing yield in one season (On year) leads to more seeds (fruits) as a supplier of gibberellins, which delay harvesting with low fruit quality and also decreases flowering and fruiting in the next season (Off year). So, the aim of this study is improving Balady mandarin fruit quality as well as accelerating fruit harvesting during the On year via foliar nourishments with potassium citrate (KC) or nitrate (KN) at 0.5% incorporated with either methionine (M) at 0.2% or sulphur (S) at 0.3%, twice two months before harvest (at flower bud induction time). The results indicated that, during On year, all treatments accelerate harvesting date, improve fruit weight, yield, fruit quality with a highly significant effect for KC + M treatment compared to the control. Moreover, this treatment increased fruit yield by 20.72% and 33.74%, for the first and the second On years, respectively. The most promising effect for KC + M is decreasing gibberellins levels during December (flower bud induction) in On year by 7& 19.4% and during January (before flowering) in Off year by 19.4% and 17.44%. Moreover, it increased both salicylic acid and auxin in the following Off year (before flowering) by 17.44%, 42.9 and 40%, respectively. This findings led to increase fruit number by 272.64% and 267.94%, and fruit yield by 251.3% and 289.65% for the following two off-year as well as decreasing AB by 61.7% and 61.67%. This study highlights the efficiency role of KC as a key for improving fruit quality during On year where heavy fruit load, as well as M application for overcoming AB as anti-gibberellins agent via accelerating harvesting in On year and enhances flowering in the following Off year via hormonal control.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04943-zCitrus reticulateMandarinYieldCarotenoidsFruit qualitySugars
spellingShingle Ayman EA Shaban
Mohammed IM El-Banna
Ahmed AbdelHady Rashedy
Potassium and methionine mitigate the alternate bearing of Balady mandarin via reducing gibberellins and increasing salicylic acid and auxins
Scientific Reports
Citrus reticulate
Mandarin
Yield
Carotenoids
Fruit quality
Sugars
title Potassium and methionine mitigate the alternate bearing of Balady mandarin via reducing gibberellins and increasing salicylic acid and auxins
title_full Potassium and methionine mitigate the alternate bearing of Balady mandarin via reducing gibberellins and increasing salicylic acid and auxins
title_fullStr Potassium and methionine mitigate the alternate bearing of Balady mandarin via reducing gibberellins and increasing salicylic acid and auxins
title_full_unstemmed Potassium and methionine mitigate the alternate bearing of Balady mandarin via reducing gibberellins and increasing salicylic acid and auxins
title_short Potassium and methionine mitigate the alternate bearing of Balady mandarin via reducing gibberellins and increasing salicylic acid and auxins
title_sort potassium and methionine mitigate the alternate bearing of balady mandarin via reducing gibberellins and increasing salicylic acid and auxins
topic Citrus reticulate
Mandarin
Yield
Carotenoids
Fruit quality
Sugars
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04943-z
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