E-Book Overview
This book provides a concise and comprehensive discussion of all major developmental, genetic and horticultural aspects of citriculture in an easily readable text. It covers the history, distribution and climatic adaptation of the crop, followed by taxonomy and systematics, including a horticultural classification of edible citrus species. Subsequent chapters cover tree structure and function, reproductive physiology, including flowering, fruiting, productivity, ripening, postharvest and fruit constituents. This valuable reference for professionals and advanced students also covers the main aspects of cultivated citrus, such as rootstocks, irrigation, pests, viruses and diseases, as well as genetic improvement, including the use of tissue culture and plant biotechnology. Contains many original illustrations specially produced for the book.
E-Book Content
The literature on the evolution, taxonomy, anatomy, physiology and genetics of citrus is voluminous and spread between many different publications. This book aims to provide a concise, up-to-date, comprehensive and critical overview of the biology and cultivation of citrus, accessible to all concerned with citrus biology and culture. The book begins by considering the origin and history of citrus from antiquity to modern times. The distribution of various citrus crops is then described, leading to a discussion of the taxonomy of citrus and the horticultural classification of the main citrus species. Particular attention is paid to problems of taxonomy within the genus Citrus and the contribution that the techniques of molecular biology have made towards their solution. A description of the vegetative and reproductive anatomy of citrus precedes a full discussion of reproductive physiology, dealing with flowering, fruiting, productivity, ripening, postharvest and fruit constituents. The main aspects of cultivated citrus, such as rootstocks, irrigation and mineral nutrition, pests, viruses and diseases are dealt with, leading to a concluding chapter that considers the potential for genetic improvement, including the use of tissue culture and plant biotechnology. Biology of Citrus includes many original illustrations and offers lists of recommended reading as well as extensive references to the primary literature, making it ideal as an essential reference work for students and citrus specialists. BIOLOGY OF CITRUS BIOLOGY OF HORTICULTURAL CROPS Existing texts in horticultural science tend to cover a wide range of topics at a relatively superficial level, while more specific information on individual crop species is dispersed widely in the literature. To address this imbalance, the Biology ofHorticultural Crops presents a series of concise texts, each devoted to discussing the biology of an important horticultural crop species in detail. Key topics such as evolution, morphology, anatomy, physiology and genetics are considered for each crop species, with the aim of increasing understanding and providing a sound scientific basis for improvements in commercial crop production. Volumes to be published in the series will cover the grapevine, citrus fruit, bananas, apples and pears, and stone fruit. The original concept for this series was the idea of Professor Michael Mullins, who identified the topics to be covered and acted as General Editor from 1983 until his untimely death in 1990. BIOLOGY OF CITRUS Pinhas Spiegel-Roy Department of Fruit Breeding and Genetics Volcani Center, A.R.O. Bet Dagan, Israel Eliezer E. Goldschmidt The Kennedy-Leigh Center for Horticultural Research Faculty of Agriculture, Rehovot The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Published by the Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 IRP 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY IOOI 1-