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Fruits · Grafted evergreen tree

Citrus

Citrus spp. · Jeruk · Rutaceae

A long-lived grafted tree crop. In Indonesia the main threat is CVPD (Huanglongbing), spread by the Asian citrus psyllid and by infected budwood, so certified seedlings, psyllid control across the whole area and removal of infected trees come first. Drainage, a high bud union and pruning complete the system.

  • Tropical & subtropical
  • Tree crop

Summary of cited sources. TERAknow summarises published guidance from the sources linked on each page. Recommendations are general, not guaranteed: results depend on your soil, climate and variety, so confirm with local extension staff or an agronomist before acting.

Key facts

Site and soil at a glance

Soil pH
5 to 6 ideal; lime with organic matter below 5.5[1]
Seedlings
Label-certified; budwood from a BPMT block[2]
Spacing
5 x 5 m to 8 x 8 m, by variety[1]
Planting hole
At least 60 x 60 x 50 cm, sun-dried 2 to 4 weeks[1]
Psyllid threshold
Over 5 psyllids per yellow trap (10 to 12 traps/ha)[2]
Harvest
About 8 months after flowering, at least 10 °Brix[2]
Soil pH band: 5.5 to 6.5
Good practice

Practices by growth stage

Pick a stage, topic or approach to narrow the list. Open a card for technical detail and its sources.

Growth stage
Topic
Approach

Showing 11 of 11 practices.

    • Core practice
    • Establishment
    • Stage: Planting material

    Plant only certified, disease-free seedlings

    CVPD and tristeza travel in infected budwood. Buy label-certified seedlings from registered nurseries whose budwood comes from a screened multiplication block.

    Technical detail
    • PTKJS: scion wood must come from a Blok Penggandaan Mata Tempel (BPMT), a budwood block of disease-free mother trees in an insect-proof screenhouse (Balitjestro).
    • IAARD (2016) recommends blue-labelled seed and siting new orchards at least 2 km from endemic areas.
    • Florida likewise requires budwood and nursery production under psyllid-proof cover. Ask the seller where the budwood came from.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    • Core practice
    • Establishment
    • Stage: Field establishment

    Prepare holes and keep the bud union high

    Plant at the start of the rainy season into prepared holes, with the graft union well above the soil to keep it out of wet soil.

    Technical detail
    • Indonesian guide (1993): holes at least 60 x 60 x 50 cm, sun-dried 2 to 4 weeks, backfilled with manure; stake young trees and mulch with straw.
    • UF/IFAS: plant with the bud union more than about 15 cm (6 inches) above the soil line, with adequate drainage.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    • Biological & regenerative
    • Soil biology
    • Stage: Field establishment

    Build organic matter and correct acidity together

    Regular manure feeds soil life and roots, and mixing dolomite into the organic matter corrects acid soils.

    Technical detail
    • PTKJS (one guide): manure about 20 to 40 kg per tree per year for trees 1 to 4 years old and 40 to 60 kg after year 4; below pH 5.5, mix about 1 to 2 kg dolomite per 100 kg organic matter.
    • Indonesian guide (1993): below pH 5 roots struggle; above pH 6 micronutrient deficiencies are common. Straw mulch after planting.
    • UF/IFAS: soil and irrigation water pH around 6.0 to 6.5 supports nutrient availability. Test soil before liming.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    • Conventional
    • Soil & nutrition
    • Stage: Young tree

    Raise fertilizer with tree age and split doses

    Nutrient needs grow each year. Apply mineral fertilizer in split doses in a ring around the tree, guided by leaf and soil analysis.

    Technical detail
    • PTKJS (one guide): N rises from about 10 to 15 g per tree in year 1 to 250 to 300 g in year 5, using urea, SP-36 and KCl; foliar micronutrients 2 to 4 times during flushing.
    • Indonesian guide (1993): place fertilizer in a ring trench 10 to 20 cm from the trunk and cover it.
    • UF/IFAS: balanced, split applications; do leaf and soil analysis before changing a program. Adjust rates to local tests.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    • Core practice
    • Crop care
    • Stage: Young tree

    Form the canopy early, then prune after each harvest

    Formative pruning builds a strong, open frame. Maintenance pruning removes dead, diseased and water shoots that harbour pests.

    Technical detail
    • PTKJS: cut the trunk 30 to 40 cm above the base, then keep 3 shoots per branch to build a 1-3-9 frame. After harvest remove fruit stalks, dead or diseased branches and water shoots.
    • Indonesian guide (1993): remove flowers until year 3 to build branches; let fruit set from year 4.
    • Disinfect pruning tools with 70% alcohol or 5% chlorine before and after use (BBP2TP).
    Regions
    Indonesia
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    • Conventional
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Bearing tree

    Monitor psyllids with yellow traps and treat at flushing

    The Asian citrus psyllid breeds only on new flush. Use traps to decide when to act, and coordinate control with neighbouring growers.

    Technical detail
    • PTKJS: 10 to 12 yellow traps per hectare at mid-canopy, checked every 2 weeks; act when the average exceeds 5 psyllids per trap. Trunk painting with imidacloprid every 2 to 4 weeks spares natural enemies better than spraying.
    • All growers in a production pocket should act together (PTKJS). Pacific Pests advises timing sprays to flushing periods.
    • UF/IFAS: imidacloprid resistance has been detected in Florida; rotate modes of action. Follow the local label.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    • Biological & regenerative
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Bearing tree

    Conserve psyllid parasitoids and predators

    Parasitoid wasps, ladybirds, hoverflies and insect-killing fungi reduce psyllid numbers, but on their own they do not stop HLB spread.

    Technical detail
    • PTKJS: Tamarixia radiata and Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis parasitize psyllid nymphs; the fungus Hirsutella infects them in the rainy season. Conserve ladybirds and hoverflies.
    • Pacific Pests prefers botanical sprays such as neem with soap where sprays are needed.
    • UF/IFAS: Tamarixia, lady beetles and lacewings help, but parasitoids alone have not slowed disease spread.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Pacific · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    • Core practice
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Bearing tree

    Confirm CVPD, then remove infected trees

    Infected trees cannot be cured and feed bacteria to psyllids. Rule out nutrient deficiency first, then remove infected wood or whole trees.

    Technical detail
    • IAARD (2016): zinc and other deficiencies mimic CVPD. Deficiency tends to show across the orchard in a regular pattern; disease shows in patches. Persistent symptoms on new flush after balanced feeding point to infection.
    • PTKJS: remove branches with sectoral symptoms, or the whole tree and roots if infection is widespread; regrowth from stumps can carry infection.
    • UF/IFAS notes that pruning out symptoms does not succeed in Florida because roots are infected first. Spray infected trees for psyllids before removal.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    • Core practice
    • Pests & disease
    • Stage: Field establishment

    Manage Phytophthora foot and root rot

    Phytophthora attacks the trunk base and roots in wet soil. Good drainage, a high bud union and dry trunks prevent most damage.

    Technical detail
    • UF/IFAS: avoid overwatering young trees and irrigate early to midday so trunks dry; use tolerant rootstocks when replanting; consider fungicides only after other causes of decline are checked.
    • PTKJS lists phosphorous acid (2 g/L) for foot rot; follow the local label.
    • BBP2TP identifies P. palmivora, P. citrophthora and P. parasitica in Indonesian orchards.
    Regions
    Widely applicable · Indonesia
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    • Core practice
    • Water
    • Stage: Bearing tree

    Avoid water stress at flushing, flowering and fruit set

    Water shortage at key stages cuts flowering and fruit set. In Indonesia a dry period after harvest followed by irrigation is used to trigger flowering.

    Technical detail
    • PTKJS: after harvest let the land dry for about 3 months, then irrigate to trigger flowering. Bigger trees and coarser soils need more water.
    • UF/IFAS: HLB-affected trees have smaller root systems; more frequent, smaller irrigations reduce drought stress.
    Regions
    Indonesia · Widely applicable
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
    • Core practice
    • Harvest
    • Stage: Harvest

    Thin fruit, then pick by colour and sweetness

    Thinning gives each fruit enough leaves. Harvest when sweetness and colour are right, in dry weather, cutting the stalk.

    Technical detail
    • PTKJS: at marble size leave 2 to 3 fruits per cluster (about 25 to 50 leaves per fruit); harvest about 8 months after flowering at 10 °Brix or more and about 50% yellow peel, using shears and a ladder.
    • Indonesian guide (1993): pick in the morning after dew dries, cutting stalks 1 to 2 cm from the fruit. Early picking gives sour fruit; late picking gives spongy fruit.
    Regions
    Indonesia
    Confidence
    High confidence: several institutional sources agree
    Sources
Regional notes

How practice differs by region

  • Indonesia (PTKJS)

    The Ministry of Agriculture's integrated healthy-orchard package combines certified seedlings, psyllid control, sanitation, good crop care and area-wide coordination among growers.

  • Indonesia (Siam and Keprok)

    Varieties named as competitive include Siam Kintamani, Siam Madu, keprok Batu 55 and keprok SoE. Siam and sweet orange are susceptible to tristeza virus while keprok types are tolerant (IAARD 2016).

  • Research gap

    Indonesia (current nursery and resistance status)

    Up-to-date lists of BPMT budwood blocks by province, label classes and psyllid insecticide resistance in Indonesian orchards still to be added.

Common mistakes

What to avoid, and what to do instead

  • AvoidBuying cheap unlabelled seedlings of unknown origin.
    InsteadBuy label-certified seedlings with budwood from a BPMT block.
  • AvoidPlanting with the graft union at or below soil level.
    InsteadKeep the bud union well above the soil and plant on land that drains.
  • AvoidControlling psyllids alone while neighbours do nothing.
    InsteadMonitor with yellow traps and act together across the production area.
  • AvoidLeaving CVPD trees or stumps in the orchard.
    InsteadRemove infected trees with their roots, after treating psyllids on them.
  • AvoidTreating zinc deficiency as CVPD, or the reverse.
    InsteadCheck the symptom pattern, feed balanced nutrients and watch the new flush.
Sources

Numbered sources

This page summarises the sources below. Check the original documents for full context.

  1. Petunjuk Teknis Budi Daya JerukShalimar Andaya Nia T., Pusat Perpustakaan Pertanian dan Komunikasi Penelitian, IAARD, 1993
  2. Panduan Teknis Pengelolaan Terpadu Kebun Jeruk Sehat (PTKJS): Strategi Pengendalian Penyakit CVPDBPTP Jawa Barat, IAARD, Ministry of Agriculture Indonesia, 2015
  3. Pengaruh Penyambungan Plantlet Jeruk Siam Kintamani Hasil Embriogenesis Somatik terhadap Pertumbuhan dan ProduksiDevy, Yenni & Hardiyanto, Balitjestro, Jurnal Hortikultura 27(2), 2017
  4. Mencegah Ancaman Penyakit Sistemik Jeruk: Bangkitkan Kejayaan Jeruk LokalM.E. Dwiastuti (ed.), IAARD Press, 2016
  5. 2026-2029 Florida Citrus Production Guide: Huanglongbing (Citrus Greening), PP-225Dewdney, Vashisth & Diepenbrock, UF/IFAS Extension, 2026
  6. 2026-2029 Florida Citrus Production Guide: Phytophthora Foot Rot, Crown Rot, and Root Rot, PP-156M.M. Dewdney, UF/IFAS Extension, 2026
  7. Pengendalian Hama & Penyakit Tanaman JerukSya'diah, Renaldi & Luthfi, BBP2TP with IPB University, 2021
  8. Citrus psyllid (fact sheet 185)G. Jackson, Pacific Pests & Pathogens, 2020
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