Bo Zhang

Taizhou Huangyan Laoshuwang Citrus Professional Cooperative, Taizhou, 318020, Zhejiang, China
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Horticulture, 2026, Vol. 16, No. 4   doi: 10.5376/ijh.2026.16.0022
Received: 06 Jul., 2026    Accepted: 12 Aug., 2026    Published: 28 Aug., 2026

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Zhang B., 2026, Effects of potassium fertilization on fruit size, sugar accumulation, and quality of citrus, International Journal of Horticulture, 16(4): 251-268 (doi: 10.5376/ijh.2026.16.0022)

With increasing consumer demand for high-quality citrus fruits, improving fruit size, sugar accumulation, and flavor attributes through nutritional regulation has become an important objective in orchard management. This study reviews the application of potassium fertilization in citrus production and summarizes recent advances in potassium uptake and transport, fruit growth, carbon metabolism regulation, and quality formation. The results indicate that appropriate potassium application can optimize nutrient allocation within citrus trees, promote the transport of photosynthetic assimilates to fruits, enhance fruit enlargement and sugar accumulation, and improve total soluble solids content and sugar–acid balance. However, citrus responses to potassium fertilization vary among cultivars, growing environments, and cultivation practices, while application timing, fertilization methods, and nutrient balance strongly influence management outcomes. Future integration of nutrient diagnosis, precision fertilization, and smart agriculture technologies may further improve potassium use efficiency and promote high-quality and sustainable citrus production.

Citrus; Potassium management; Fruit quality; Sugar accumulation; Precision fertilization