Good crop nutrition, particularly with calcium and potassium, will maintain the integrity of the peel, helping to reduce the incidences of blemishes.
Ensuring a good calcium and potassium supply helps increase peel strength and resistance to blemishes such as pitting.
The role of calcium in improving skin cell wall strength has been confirmed in Spanish trials. Treated mandarins had greater fruit firmness during ripening on the tree, making them less susceptible to puncturing during harvest, transport and storage. In this trial, this improvement lasted at least 2 months.
The control of insects, mites, fungal, bacterial and other pests, will help minimize discolouration or disfiguration of the peel.
Windbreaks and the maintenance of a strong tree canopy will minimize wind scarring of the fruit.
