Crop data Perennial, grown in a wide range of soil types and climatic conditions. In general, trees on well drained sandy soils have a longer useful life than those on loam or clays where drainage is not as good. The crop is grown in a belt between 40 N and 40 S, except at high elevation. Minimum temperature is the limiting factor, though the killing effect varies with variety, rootstock, dormancy of the trees, the absolute minimum temperature and its duration.
Brazil is the largest producer of oranges, and Japan of mandarins.
Spain, Italy and Mexico lead in the production of lemon and limes, while USA produces the most grapefruit. World production is expected to increase during the 1990s as new plantings in North and South America, the Mediterranean region and Asia come into full production. It is expected that the volume of processed fruit will continue to increase while consumption of fresh fruit should remain relatively constant. The table below shows the quantities of nutrient elements contained in one metric ton of fresh fruit. The large amounts of K reflect the high K content of citrus juice.