Kinnow Cultivation in India: Complete Farming Guide from Planting to Harvesting

Table of Contents

• Rooting in Kinnow Cultivation
• Popular Varieties With Their Yield
• Kinnow Production in India: Top 5 States
• How to Cultivate Kinnow in India?
• Climate & Soil Requirements
• Land Preparation and Seeding
• Sowing
• Fertilizer and Weed Control
• Irrigation and Plant protection
• Harvesting and Post-Harvest
• The Grower’s Take

Rooting In Kinnow Cultivation

Citrus fruit originated in Southeast Asia, and kinnow is one of them. It is a high-yielding hybrid citrus fruit derived from the 'king' mandarin and 'willow leaf' mandarin. Citrus fruits are important source of vitamin C.

Popular Varieties of Kinnow

Kinnow is the major fruit grown in Punjab. The fruits are of a golden-orange color, the juice is sweet and slightly acidic in taste with a rich flavor. Check out the popular varieties of kinnow as mentioned below:

PAU Kinnow-1: This variety of kinnow matures in January. It contains 0-9 seeds and has an average yield of 45 kg per tree.

Daisy: It is another popular variety of kinnow, which matures at the third week of November. It has 10-15 seeds and gives an average yield of 57 kg per tree.

Kinnow Production in India: Top 5 States

In a citrus family, kinnow is a high yield mandarin hybrid. Moreover, as per the APEDA report 2024-25, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Haryana, are major Kinnow-growing states. Check out the following table for more information:

How to Cultivate Kinnow in India?

Kinnow fruit cultivation involves a structured process which requires good climate, soil, Irrigation, harvesting, etc. Let’s move forward and understand the major steps for kinnow cultivation:

Climate & Soil Requirements

The first step is to understand the right climate and soil. Kinnow requires a temperature of 13–37 °C and 300–400 mm rainfall to grow. Moreover, the right temperature of sowing is 10-25 °C and the harvesting temperature is 20-32 °C, which helps maintain peak flavor.
Kinnow cultivation requires choosing well-drained sandy loam, deep clay loam, or slightly acidic soils. However, this crop does not thrive in saline, alkaline soils and can’t withstand waterlogged soils. For optimum crop growth, the recommended pH of soil should be in the range of 5.5 to 7.5.

Land Preparation and Seeding

To prepare the land for kinnow, the soil should be deeply ploughed, cross-ploughed and leveled properly. Also, ensure that budded saplings are planted in spaced pits during the monsoon season. A minimum plant density of 111 plants per acre should be maintained.

Sowing

The most suitable time to plant kinnow is from mid-June to the end of September. While sowing, you need to keep a 6×6 m spacing and dig 60×60×60 cm pits. Kinnow is propagated by T-budding on rough lemon or kharna khatta rootstocks. Next, sow seeds in 2×1 m nursery beds with 15 cm row spacing, transplant healthy seedlings at 10–12 cm and perform shield/T-budding when shoots are pencil-thick. Then wrap the bud with plastic. It should be done during February–March or August–September.

Fertilizer and Weed Control

For kinnow nutrition, apply age-based fertilizer per tree and apply full SSP with the first urea dose. Check out the following table for more information:

If we talk about weed control, then spray post-emergence Glyphosate@1.6 Ltr/acre or Paraquat@1.2 Ltr per acre and mix in 200 Ltr of water.

Irrigation and Plant protection

It needs frequent watering in the initial growth years. Water every week for crops 3-4 years old. For older trees, water every 2-3 weeks, depending on soil type, weather, and rainfall. However, it is also important to avoid excess watering, as it causes disease, such as root rot, collar rot, etc. Use light irrigation often for the best yield. Irrigate before sprouting and again after fruit set as this is the crucial step.

Additionally, when it comes to plant protection, then pests and their control are considered as the major step. You need to protect your crop from Psylla, leaf miner, Mite, Mealy Bug, Leaf folder, Whitefly and Blackfly.

Another issue is disease. You need to protect it from diseases like Canker, Gummosis (Root rot), Die back, and Greening of Kinnow. To protect your crop from these issues, check out the following table for the solution:

Harvesting and Post-Harvest

When kinnow fruits reach proper size, shape, and attractive colour, they are ready for harvesting. The TSS to acid ratio should be 12:1. Depending on the variety, fruits are usually ready from mid-January to mid-February. It is essential to harvest at the right time because harvesting too early or late can reduce the fruit quality.

After harvesting, wash the fruits with clean water. Then dip the fruits in chlorinated water at 2.5 ml per liter of water and partially dry them. Apply Citra Shine wax coating using foam. Then dry the fruit in the shade and pack them in boxes. Now, it is ready to shine in the market.

The Grower’s Take

Kinnow cultivation in India is a highly profitable yet challenging venture, driven by high yields in northern states but constrained by post-harvest losses and climate pressures. The primary regions leading this production are Punjab, Rajasthan, and Haryana. Moreover, there are many kinnow benefits, such as boosting immunity, improving digestion, and supporting heart health.