Establishment of correlation between physicochemical properties of soil, micronutrients and citrus greening disease in sweet orange orchards of Marathwada region

Abstract

The present investigation entitled “Establishment of Correlation Between Physicochemical Properties of soil Micronutrients and Citrus Greening in Sweet Orange of Marathwada Region” was carried out during 2024-2025.The soil and plant samples were collected from 60 different sweet orange orchards in which 30 sweet orange orchards out of which showing citrus greening symptoms in various villages of paithan tehsil in Chh. Sambhajinagar district. The results revealed that, soil pH is positively correlated with disease incidence (r = 0.894**) and disease severity (r = 0.932**) whereas soil Fe is negatively correlated with disease incidence (r =-0.568**) and disease severity (r =-0.525**) and soil Zn is negatively correlated with disease incidence (r =-0.815**) and disease severity (r =-0.834**). Similar trend follows in tissue analysis also where Iron is negatively correlated with disease incidence (r =-0.441**) and disease severity (r =-0.402**), Cu is negatively correlated with disease incidence (r =-0.408**) and disease severity (r =-0.385**), Mn is negatively correlated with disease incidence (r = 0.494**) and disease severity (r = 0.466**) and Zn is negatively correlated with disease incidence (r =-0.392**) and disease severity (r =-0.363**).These finding suggest that an imbalance and insufficiency of essential macronutrients may be responsible for development of citrus greening incidence and severity in sweet orange orchards.