Growth, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Eight Lemon Cultivars in Arizona

Abstract

Tree growth, yield, and fruit quality of eight lemon cultivars [Citrus limon (L.) Burro. f.] on macrophylla (Alemow) (C. macrophylla Wester) rootstock were compared when grown in sandy soil in the arid climate of south-western Arizona. `Foothill Lisbon' had higher cumulative yield and titratable acids than `Monroe Lisbon', `Prior Lisbon', `Eureka', and `Villafranca', and had larger fruit than other `Lisbon' cultivars. `Prior Lisbon' produced a larger tree canopy with lower yield efficiency than all other cultivars and did not show any decline due to sieve tube necrosis 12 years after planting. Overall, `Eureka' cultivars and `Villafranca' had lower relative cumulative yields, canopy volumes, total soluble solids content, titratable acids, and seed content, but higher tree decline than `Lisbon' cultivars. Overall, `Foothill Lisbon', in spite of carrying exocortis viroid, produced good yields and fruit quality and `Prior Lisbon' had a satisfactory growth-performance.