cultivation of citrus fruit.............

cultivation of citrus

1. CITRUS CULTIVATION SUBMITTED BY: SAPNA MALIK ROLL NO. : 237012 MSC. FRUIT SCI. SUBMITTED TO: DR. DILIP SINGH KACHWAYA

2. TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION OF CITRUS.. KINGDOM Plantae ORDER Sapindales FAMILY Rutaceae BOTANICAL NAME Citrus spp. ORIGIN INDO-CHINA CHROMOSOME NO. 2n= 18

3. COMMON NAME SPECIES MANDARIN {SANTRA} Citrus reticulate SWEET ORANGE{MOSAMBI} Citrus sinensis PUMMELO Citrus maxico LIME Citrus aurentifolia GRAPEFRUIT Citrus paradise leaf LEMON Citrus limon Burm CITRON Citrus medica

4. INTRODUCTION: Citrus is also known as BHUDHA’S HAND FRUIT. Citrus constitutes a major group of fruits comprising of mandarins, oranges, lemon, lime, pummelo , grape fruit, citron, and other species etc. It is of particular interest because of its high content of vitamin C and refreshing Juice .

5. ORGANIC ACID CITRIC ACID PIGMENTS XANTHOPHYLLS AND CAROTENE VITAMIN VITAMIN C KINNOW IS HYBRID OF KING CITRUS X WILLOW LEAF MANDRAIN TANGERINS MANDRAIN X PUMMELO PUMMELO , LIME , CITRON is MONO EMBRYONIC MANDARIN , SWEET ORANGE , LIME , GRAPEFRUIT is POLY EMBROYNIC EDIBLE PORTION JUICY PLACENTAL HAIRS FRUIT TYPE HESPERIDIUM

6. INFLOROSCENCE CYME NON-CLIMACTERIC CITRUS PIGMENTS XANTHOPHYLLS AND CAROTENE MAJOR PROCESSED PRODUCT OF CITRUS IS ORANGE JUICE BEST ROOTSTOCK RANGPUR LIME FINEST VARIETY OF MANDRAIN NAGPUR MANDRAIN CITRUS GREENING IS CAUSED BY BACTERIA

7. IMPORTANCE,USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS: Uses: Consumed as fresh fruits e.g : Mandarin, orange, pummelo , grape fruit. Preparation of juices/cold drinks, syrup, crush, squash, limes. Limes are used as flavoring agent in salads, meat, fish, vegetables. Juice is bottled and canned e.g : Orange, lime, lemons, mandarin, grape fruit. Orange products like marmalade, cordial, squash . Limes are used for preparation of pickles.

8. CLIMATE AND SOIL : Tropical and subtropical. Can be grown upto 1000 m above MSL. Deep well drained loamy soils are the best. They are sensitive to frost. The optimum temperature is 20 to 30°C. Soil pH should be 5.5 to 7.0.

9. Description of plant : Plant: It is an evergreen medium to tall, erect tree .It grows to maximum height of 25m . Trees are thorny and bear flowers singly or in clusters which bear fruit generally round to oval in shape depending on the species. Flower : Flowers smell sweet and they have five petals that are white and some kinds have purple staining in the outer surfaces. . Fruit: The fruits are spherical or egg-shaped and have 8-14 juicy sections containing large, white or greenish seed leaves (cotyledons).

10. Tree flower

11. Fruit part :

12. AREA AND DISTRIBUTION IN INDIA : Citrus is cultivated in the states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, Orissa, Gujarat, Assam, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu.

13. PROPAGATION: In India, citrus trees are propagated both by seeds and vegetative means. Seed propagation is still practiced in the case of acid limes and to produce rootstocks for budding purposes. Shield or T budding is the most commonly used method of vegetative propagation. Budding is generally done either in spring or in September.

14. Shield or T-Budding: In this method, bud of 2.5-3 cm length is used for budding. If the bud is inserted by making vertical incision on rootstock, it is termed as shield budding. If T-shaped incision is made for inserting bud on rootstock, it is termed as T-budding. The budding is made at 10-25cm height of rootstock. After inserting bud in incision on rootstock, it is wrapped air-tightly using polythene tape leaving the bud exposed .

15. RAISING OF ROOTSTOCK : Rootstock Characters Rough lemon Suitable for light (sandy) and infertile soil, resistant to Tristeza virus. But it is most susceptible to cold and induces poor quality fruit. Sour orange Suitable for silty , clayey and poorly aerated soils , improves the fruit quality and has high sugar and acid content, improve the fruit size. Cleopatra mandarin Suitable for heavy soils. Trifoliate orange Cold tolerant, improves the fruit quality and has High sugar and acid content, hasten fruit maturity and the fruit size.

16. Sweet lime It gives high yield in early age followed by reduction in the yield later on. Also it is most susceptible to cold and induce poor fruit quality. Sour lime Most susceptible to cold Sweet lime Give high yield in early age followed by reduction in the yield. Rangpur lime Tolerant to Phytophthora foot rot and resistant to Tristeza virus , Drought and salt tolerant. Sweet orange Resistant to Tristeza virus

17. nutritional value :

18. Varieties : Name of varieties : Characteristics Rangpur Lime Rind and pulp are orange in colour . Rind is thin and adherence to pulp is moderate. Kagzi Lime Fruits are small to medium, pulp is juicy greenish with strong adherence to the skin; skin yellowish green, thin or papery and shiny. It is mainly used for processing purpose. Lemons Fruits large, ovoid to round, fruits dark green, rind thick adhering to the pulp, moderately juicy and acidic. Sweet Lime Fruit medium-sized, rind thin, colour greenish to orange-yellow on maturity, segments around 10 ,flesh colour straw-yellow

19. RANGPUR LIME KHAZI LIME SWEET LIME LEMONS

20. Kinnow fruit is medium-size, rind moderately thick , although peel able surface smooth and fruit color yellowish orange at full maturity segments 9 to10 Khasi Orange Fruits surface smooth, colour orange-yellow to bright orange, rind thin , segments usually 10. Coorg Orange Fruits colour bright yellow and uniform, Rind Medium-thick, segments usually between 9 to 11, pulp yellow with fine texture and abundant juice. Desi Fruits colour uniform golden -yellow, rind medium thick somewhat thicker than that of Coorg mandarin ,segments usually between 7 to 10 ,pulp light reddish yellow, sufficiently juicy and moderately flavoured MANDARIN:

21. KINNOW KHASI ORANGE COORG ORANGE DESI ORANGE

22. SWEET ORANGE Mosambi Fruit light yellowish orange in colour , surface rough, rind thick, well-defined segments 9 to 12, peeling difficult, pulp light yellow; Malta blood red Skin yellow with scarlet blush. Rind is relatively thin, tight. Pulp corn coloured and red streaked, early ripening; pulp sweet, abundant juice, red coloured , pleasant flavour . Malta Fruit orange-yellow, surface smooth; shape spherical; medium to large in size; thickness of the rind medium, segments 10, well-defined; pulp orange, abundant juice, good flavour Pineapple Fruit medium to large size, orange colour , rind thin, bright ,juicy and sweet flavour like pineapple . Sathgudi Fruits are smooth and have orange colour , shape spherical, rind medium thick, segments10 to 12, pulp orange coloured abundant juice, good flavour .

23. MOSAMBI MALTA BLOOD RED MALTA PINEAPPLE SATHGUADI

24. Exotic Varieties - USA Lemons-Processing Eureka, Allen, Cascade, Cook, Meek, Prior, Prospect, Strong, Femminelo , Oval, Sweet Orange-Table & Processing Purpose Pope, Cutter Frost, Olinda , St. Michael, Sanfords Meditteranean , Ruby,Kwatta 202.

25. MATURITY: Unlike some other fruits, citrus fruits do not ripen further once they have been removed from the tree, so it is important that they are picked at the right stage of maturity. Maturity is measured depending on different characteristics such as color, juice content, level of soluble solid(sugar) and solids to acid ratio. Normally, citrus fruits are harvested by hand.

26. INTERCROPPING: Leguminous crops like soybean, gram, groundnut, cow peas, french , bean, peas etc., may be grown in citrus orchards. Intercropping is advisable during the initial three-four years after planting.

27. MANURE AND FERTILIZERS : Fertilizer schedule for Kinnow plants Age of Tree (year Farmyard Manure (kg/plant) Dose per tree (g) Nitro- gen Phos - porus Urea SSP K Muriate of potash 1-3 10-30 110-330 240-730 - - 110-330 185-550 4-7 40-70 440-770 970-1690 220-385 1370-2400 440-770 735-1285 8 and above 80 880 1940 440 2730 880 1465

28. Fertilizer schedule for citrus plants other than Kinnow Age of the Tree (year) Farmyard manure (kg/plant) Farmyard manure (kg/plant) Nitrogen Urea 1-3 5-20 50-150 110-330 4-6 25-50 200-250 440-550 7-9 60-90 300-400 660-880 10 and above 100 400-800 880-1760

29. In Kinnow and other citrus fruits, entire farmyard manure should be applied during December. Split the N dose into two parts and apply the first half in February and the second half in February and the second half in April-May after fruit set. Apply phosphorus along with the first dose of nitrogen.

30. Fertigation for kinnow : The following fertigation schedule should be followed for high density Kinnow mandarin for higher nutrient use efficiency. The fertilizer dose (g/tree) should be divided equally among the number of splits and applied at weekly intervals during February-April (15 splits) and July-mid September (12 splits). It will same 20% fertilizers and also gives higher fruit yield and better fruit quality.

31. February- April (15 splits) July-Mid September (12 splits g/plant g/plant Age of plants Urea Urea phosphate MOP Urea Urea phosphate MOP 1 115 - - 77 - - 2 230 - - 154 - - 3 346 - - 230 - - 4 370 240 80 247 160 120 5 466 300 80 310 200 120 6 558 360 80 373 240 120 7 647 420 80 431 280 120 8 and above 742 480 240 494 320 160

32. Mulching : Application of dry leaf mulch or paddy husk to a thickness of about 8 cm. in the basin keeps down the weed growth and decreases the number of irrigations and also improves fruit quality.

33. WEED CONTROL: In citrus orchards weed control is carried out by 2 or 3 cross ploughing . While resorting to manual weeding tillage should not be deeper than 10 to 15 cm. Deep tillage once or twice in a year is more harmful than regular deep tillage. Diuron at 3 kg/ a.i . /ha or Simazine (4kg a. i ./ha) when sprayed during end of May controls dicot and monocot weeds in the orchard. The application may be repeated at 120 days for complete control of the weeds

34. Irrigation: The young plants upto the age of 3-4 years , should be irrigated at weekly intervals. The older trees be irrigated after 2-3 weeks interval , depending upon the climate, rainfall and type of soil. Irrigation is crucial before sprouting in February, after fruit set in April and in the hot weather, otherwise the growth of trees may be adversely affected resulting in the excessive shedding of flowers/ fruits.

35. Drip irrigation In the beginning, 1-2 drippers per plant or tree are required which may be increased to 4-5 depending on the soil type and age of the plant or tree. For efficient use of water sub lateral loops of the drippers should be used around each plant or tree. The drip irrigation system enables efficient and judicious use of water along with improvement in yield. The requirement of water during different months according to age of the tree is given as below :

36. TRAINING AND PRUNING : 45cm from ground level stem must be clean. Citrus trees may be pruned at any time, but it is better to avoid those periods when trees are in active growth. The best time for pruning the bearing trees is after the harvest of the fruits during late winter or early spring. For getting better yield of high quality fruit, pruning of such branches is necessary to open up the tree for proper ventilation and provide more chances for inner wood to bear fruit. Removal of dead and dried wood is necessary to check the further spread of diseases.

37. GROWTH REGULATORS : To increase the fruit retention spraying the trees at flowering and again at marble stage with 2,4-D at 20 ppm or NAA 30 ppm .

38. PLANTING: Season of Planting: The ideal time for planting the grafts is June - July just after the first monsoon showers. Spacing: Spacing adopted for planting citrus varies depending on variety and agro -climatic conditions. However in general the following spacing is adopted . CITRUS SPACING(m) Mandarin 6 m x 6 m Sweet orange 6 m x 6m Limes/lemons 5 x 5 m

39. Method of Planting: The grafts are planted by making a small hole in the centre of the pit sufficient to accommodate the soil ball. Care should be taken to keep the bud union at least 15 cm above the ground level. The soil around the plant is pressed gently. Planting should be immediately followed by irrigation. In case of high wind velocity the plants are tied to the stake.

40. REGULATION of flowering: In central India, mandarins bloom thrice a year. January and February flowering is known as ambe bahar ; June flowering as mring bahar and October flowering as hast bahar . Under such circumstances, plants give irregular and small crops at indefinite intervals. To overcome this problem and to get fruitful yield in any of the 3 flowering seasons’, treating mandarin trees has been practiced which is called resting or root exposure or bahar treatment . In this method, roots of the plant are exposed too sun by removing up to 7 -10 cm soil around 40-60 cm radius of tree trunk. The water is withheld for a month or two before flowering..

41. As a result of water stress , leaves show wilting and fall on the ground. At this stage the roots are again covered with a mixture of soil and FYM and irrigated immediately . Subsequent irrigations are given at suitable intervals. Consequently, plants give new vegetative growth , profuse flowering and fruiting. However, in light sandy and shallow soils, exposure of roots should not be practiced and withholding of water for 2-3 weeks is sufficient for wilting and debilitation of trees. It depends upon the choice of the grower as to which of the 3 bahars is to be taken to get maximum profit. As the availability of water is a problem in central India during April – May, the farmers prefer mrig bahar (June) so that the plants are forced to rest in April – May. Resting treatment is not feasible in North India, as mandarin plants normally rest in winter and flower once a year.

42. HARVESTING : Normally the citrus fruits are harvested when ripe , as their quality does not improve on storage. Clippers or secateurs should be used to remove the fruit from the tree leaving a little portion of the stem attached to the fruit. Fruit should not be pulled by hand , as it ruptures the skin of the fruit and provides an entry point for field diseases. Time of harvest: Sweet orange North India : December – February South India : October – March Lime and lemon North India : August to October South India : May to September Pumello & Grape fruit - November to March

43. YIELDING: A well maintained sweet orange orchard yields 600-800 fruits/plant/year from 8 year onwards, while that of Nagpur Mandarin of same age yields 800-1000 fruits/plant /year. In case of lime, a seven year old lime plant yields 1000-1200 fruits/year.

44. INSECT-PEST MANAGEMENT: Insect-pest name Causal organism Symptoms Control Citrus Psylla Diaphorina citri spreading the 'greening' disease, leaves get distorted, curled up and ultimately fall resulting in complete defoliation of the plant. Monocrotophos (0.025%) or Malathion (0.03%) Bark Borer Inderbela tetraonis caterpillar makes holes into the branches and weakens the tree, feeding of these pests causes translocation of cell sap, which affect the growth and fruiting . removing the webbing=plugging the holes with Cotton wool soaked in the 2-5ml Dichlorvos 76EC solution (20ml/10 litres of water)

45. Citrus Leaf Miner Phyllocnistis citrella damages both in nursery and in grown up stages, affected leaves turn pale yellow, get distorted and than die, development of citrus canker disease. Pruning, Spraying the plants with Methyl Demeton (0.03%) Citrus White Fly/ Citrus Black Fly Dialeurodes citri insects suck the sap of the plants and during this process, secrete honeydew , infestation is so severe that the whole orchard looks black. Drenching the trees with sufficient solution Monocrotophos (1.5 ml/ litre of water) Aphids Toxoptera citricida The aphids suck the cell sap from the leaves. They also feed on the new shoots and tender fruits. Curling of infested twigs and leaves is a common symptom. Parathion (0.03%) and Malathion (0.03%).

46. Citrus or Lemon Butterfly Papilio demoleus Caterpillar feeds on leaves, leaf lamina leaving behind only midrib. Sometimes,entire tree is defolliated . Hand picking of the larvae and spraying with Endosulphan 35 EC (2ml/10 litres of water) Mites Eutetranychus orientalis The insects feed on the leaves and produce multiple grey spots. The affected leaves defoliate. Wettable Sulphur (3.0 g/ litre of water) or Monocrotophos (1.5ml/ litre of water). Fruit Flies Dacus dorsalis puncture the rind of the fruit at the pre-harvest stage and lays eggs inside the fruit. The maggots hatch from the eggs and feed on the fruit pulp the affected fruits fail to ripen and drop pre-maturity. Use of flytraps containing 1% Methyl Eugenol and 0.5% Malathion mixed with sugar syrup two months prior to harvesting is effective

47. Fruit Sucking Moths Ophideres Spp. Moths puncture the skin of the ripening fruits, suck its juice and lay eggs in the pulp . Ultimately, fruit drown. mixing 15g lead arsenate and 450g molasses in 10 litres of water. Scale Insects Chrysompahlus aonidum types-1. armoured scales, which have hard cover separate from the body 2. soft scales the have no separate cover but sometimes a hard skin or a protective waxy secretion. armoured scales are difficult to control. soft scales are controlled by Monocrotophos (0.1%) Citrus Nematode Tylenchulus semipenetrans damage above the ground are lack of vigor, twig dieback, decline in growth, and reduced fruit size and yield. Under ground =include poor growth of feeder roots and soil adhering to roots giving them a dirty appearance. Good sanitation, rotation with annual crops, resistant rootstock

48. citrus phylla

49. Scale insect nematode

50. DISEASES: Foot Rot or Gummosis ( Phytophthora spp.) Symptoms: appear as yellowing of leaves, followed by cracking of bark and profuse gumming on the surface. As a result of severe gumming, the bark becomes completely rotten and the tree dries owing to girdling effect. Control : adequate drainage, use of resistant rootstocks disease portions are scraped-out with a sharp knife and the cut surface is disinfected,

51. Ganoderma Root-Rot ( Ganoderma lucidum) Symptoms: Whitish strands of fungus spread along the surface of the bark of the roots, which later turn dark. During rainy season bracket-like fungal fructifications appears at the base of the trunk. Control: Removal of dead or decaying old stumps from the orchard, treating the basal portion of the stakes with a fungicide, Application of Vitavax (500 ppm )

52. Dry Root Rot ( Fusarium spp .) Symptoms: moist decay of the bark in the early stages and a dry shredded condition of the bark with hard, dead wood underneath in later stages. Affected tree defoliates , and produces heavy crop of small-sized fruits. Control: diseased roots should be cut off and destroyed. The cut surface should be painted with Bordeaux paste.

53. Fruit-Rot ( Phytophthora palmivora ) Symptoms : Shedding of leaves starts from the lower branches of the tree. The affected leaves show water-soaked patches. By the time these lesions extend to the whole leaf , the affected leaves drop off. Control : Spraying Bordeaux mixture (1%) can effectively control the disease.

54. Scab ( Elsinoe fawcetti ) Symptoms: The lesions in early stages appear on the underside of the leaves as small semi-translucent dots. In later stages, leaves often become distorted, wrinkled, stunted and deformed. On the fruit, lesions consist of corky projections, which often break into scabs. Control : The diseased leaves, twigs and fruits should be collected and destroyed. Spraying of Bordeaux mixture or Blitox (0.3%) is quite effective.

55. Powdery Mildew ( Acrosporium tingitaninum ) Symptoms: Whitish powdery mass develops on the young leaves and twigs. Affected leaves get distorted. When the disease is severe the affected leaves drop off and the twigs show dieback symptoms. Control : spraying Wettable Sulphur (1.5kg/200 litres of water). Sulphur dusting(20kg/hectare) in the morning hours controls the disease effectively.

56. Anthracnose: ( Colletotrichum gloesporioides ) Symptoms: Affected leaves show necrotic patches with distortions. Flower buds, when affected fail to set into fruits. Infection on fruits results in fruit drop. Control: The orchard should be kept in healthy state by adequate irrigation, manuring and pruning the diseased twigs. Mancozeb (2g/ litre of water)

57. Sooty Mould ( Capnodium citri ) The disease is common in the orchards where mealy bug and scale insects are not controlled efficiently. Black velvety coating on the leaves, twigs and fruits is the characteristic of disease. Under dry conditions the affected leaves curl and shrivel up. Control : Disease can be controlled by pruning, Spray insecticides to manage insect population.

58. Citrus Canker ( Xanthomonas citri ) Symptoms: symptoms appear on leaves, branches and fruit stalks. Canker lesions appear as yellowish spots , which gradually enlarge and appear as raised, rough brownish pustules . These pustules are surrounded by a characteristic yellow halo. Serious in acid lime. Control : Pruning infected twigs. disinfecting the cuts with Bordeaux paste can prevent the further spread of disease. Streptocycline spray (10 g of Streptocycline + 5 g Copper Sulphate in 100 litreswater )

59. Tristeza Virus Disease The aphid transmits Tristeza virus disease. The symptoms begin with the dieback of small branches and twigs, yellowing of leaves and heavy bearing of small fruits. Control : Good cultural practices, increasing the fertility levels of the soil and good drainage are useful in reducing the decline disease.

60. Greening: The fruits of affected trees remain mostly green even on maturity and the fruits, which are directly exposed to sun shows yellow patch on rind surfaces. Greening is caused by bacteria. Control : As the disease is transmitted through grafting, the budwood used from the parent tree should be free from greening.

61. Citrus Dieback/Decline ( Colletotrichum spp.) In leaves like leaf falling, root decay, dieback of shoots and finally the death of the tree. Causes: deficiency of copper . Control : Applying more organic manures to the plants. Removing all dead wood before new growth starts. covering all cut surfaces with Bordeaux paste.

62. PHYSIOLOGICAL DISORDER : Fruit cracking: Symptoms: long, narrow, deep crack at the styler end of the fruit. Crack originates between ends. Growth of harmful fungi, bacteria and insect on affected fruits. Causes: high nitrogen content. Deficiency of boron and calcium. Control: avoid excessive application of N. Spray borax 0.8% during fruit growth.

63. Fruit Drop: Symptoms: The dropped fruits are deep yellow to brown colour and show dark brown coin like rotting around the stalk end. stages of fruit drop occurs when the fruits are at marble stage. It lasts for a month after full bloom. Causes: nitrogen deficiency. Extreme pruning. Water stress. lack of fertilization Control : pruning copper oxychloride 50 WP (3 g/ litre of water)

64. Frenching / Mottle leaf : Symptoms: chlorosis between the viens . Bushy appearance of the plant. Rapid die-back . Death of the plant. Causes: It is due to zinc deficiency, Control: spray 0.5% zinc sulphate .

65. Granulation: Symptoms: juice sacs of fruit become tough , thick wall , enlarged and turn greyish in colour . Excess Ca, Mg, Na, and K in juice sacs. high pectin content. Causes: high relative humidity, temp. , nitrogen supply. Large fruit size. Control: controlled nitrogen fertilization. Spray micro-nutrients = Zn, Cu, K, each at .25% Early harvesting.

66. POST-HARVEST TECHNIQUES : Grading: The fruit are inspected and unripe, immature, undersized, damaged or decayed fruits are discarded. For local markets , the citrus fruits are graded as per the size into small, medium and large grades. The differences between categories will depend on the type of fruit. For exports of Nagpur mandarins, the various grades recommended are as follows which is kept wet by periodical watering.

67. GRADE SIZE {mm} No. of Fruits/ 10 Kg Packing 50-55 115 50-60 98 60-65 84 65-70 76 70-75 64

68. Packaging: Citrus fruits are packed in sacks, bags, bamboo baskets and wooden boxes for sending to local markets. For urban markets, citrus fruits are packed in telescopic cardboard boxes. Corrugated trays are equally effective as packaging material while transporting the fruits. Use of such trays is cost effective due to its reusability. For export of Nagpur mandarin, usually 2 piece , telescopic, corrugated fibreboard boxes of three ply or five ply should be used. The boxes must have 5% area punched as holes for ventilation. To immobilize the movement of fruits inside the box, three ply wax treated dividers having ventilation holes are used.

69. Storage : After the fruits are harvested, they should be treated with wax to reduce post harvest damage. Treatment of fruits with Bavistin (1000 ppm ) can reduce post harvest losses and extend the shelf life to 25-26 days even at room temperature . Shelf life of Nagpur mandarin can be extended by three weeks on wrapping the fruits with heat shrinkable polythene and Cryovate film (D 955 and BDF 2001). The ideal storage temperatures for Nagpur mandarin is 6-7 C at 85-90% relative humidity while lime & lemon are stored at 10-12 C with 90-95% relative humidity.

70. Transport: Citrus fruits are transported by rail or road as ordinary cargo and without refrigeration , which often leads to heavy loss due to decay and fungal infections. Cool Chain: Cool chain is essential during the transport of export quality commodity all the way from the farm to the customer. This helps in maintaining the temperature inside the box at the same low level as in the cold storage. The various stages of the cool chain are : 1. Coldstore at the farm. 2. Refrigerated truck from farm to the airport 3. Coldstore at the airport. 4. Building up of the pallet in a coldstore at the airport. 5. Loading the aircrafts directly from the coldstore in a short time. 6. Cargo aircraft maintains coldstore temperature in hold. 7. Off loading direct into a coldstore in the receiving country. 8. Refrigerated truck to the customers.