EFFECTS OF SALINITY AND ROOTSTOCK ON LEMON FRUIT-QUALITY

Physical characteristics and constituents of juice were studied in 'Verna' lemon fruit in relation to the salinity of the irrigation water and to three rootstocks, sour orange (C. aurantium L.), Cleopatra mandarin (C. reticulata Blanco) and macrophylla (C. macrophylla Wester). Yield reduction by salinity was not caused by changes in physical conditions or juice content, whatever the rootstock. However juice quality was affected by both salinity and rootstock. Sour orange and Cleopatra mandarin rootstocks were superior to macrophylla because their fruits were highly satisfactory in both total soluble sugars (TSS) and acidity, which are the most important components of juice quality. Most quality factors were correlated with each other within rootstocks. Differences between rootstocks are presented.