Relationship between Soil and Leaf Potassium Content and 'Valencia' Orange Fruit Quality

In order to evaluate the relationship between orange fruit quality and potassium concentration in soil and leaves, thirty 20-year-old 'Valencia' orange on 'Cleopatra' mandarin were evaluated in 2006, in Nirgua, Yaracuy State, Venezuela. For each plant 12 samples of 12 fruits each were analysed. The following variables were determined: polar and equatorial diameter of fruit, fresh mass, skin thickness and percentage, juice percentage, total titratable acidity (TA), soluble solids concentration (SSC), and SSC/TA ratio. Fifteen samples of soil and leaves were taken for potassium analysis. A correlation was obtained between soil potassium content and some fruit quality attributes (skin and juice percentages). Leaf potassium had a positive correlation with fruit SSC. It was found that the greater potassium level, minor fresh mass and juice content in the fruits along with higher skin proportion and SSC.