Rootstock-mediated Morphological and Fruit Quality Responses in Kinnow Mandarin: Quantitative Assessment Through Correlation and Regression Modeling
摘要
This study evaluated rootstock-dependent variations in morpho-physiological and biochemical attributes of ’Kinnow’ mandarin (Citrus nobilis × C. deliciosa) across twelve rootstock genotypes under sub-tropical conditions. Seven-year-old grafted trees were assessed during 2020–22 seasons in a Randomized Block Design (RBD), including Rich 16‑6, citrange varieties, Rangpur lime, Volkameriana, and Rough lemon rootstocks. Correlation analysis revealed highly significant inter-parameter relationships, with juice content showing exceptionally strong correlations with fruit weight (r = 0.970), plant height (r = 0.981), canopy volume (r = 0.981), and scion circumference (r = 0.985, all p < 0.001). Three predictive regression models demonstrated robust performance: fruit quality index prediction achieved perfect accuracy (R2 = 0.98), while fruit weight and juice content models showed strong predictive capabilities (R2 = 0.9801 and 0.9583, respectively). Rough lemon rootstock exhibited superior performance, with the highest values of plant height (3.78 m), scion circumference (51.96 cm), fruit weight (167.80–186.25 g), juice content (58.44–61.85%), and total soluble solids (11.57–12.07°Brix). Rangpur lime and Volkameriana showed comparable performance, while Kuharsuke and Gou Tou demonstrated inferior responses. The integrated correlation-regression framework provides quantitative selection criteria for rootstock optimization in subtropical citrus production systems.