Mosambi Cultivation, Cost and Profits

Mosambi Cultivation:

The following is all about Mosambi Cultivation (Sweet Lime), Cost, and Profits.

Introduction To Mosambi Cultivation

Mosambi is one of the sweet oranges grown for its pulp and juices. Commercial cultivation of Mosambi fetching excellent yields under ideal cultivation practices. Mosambi belongs to the family of “Rutaceae” and is the 3rd largest fruit produced in India. Mosambi is a small tree that can reach a height of up to 20 to 25 feet. This tree has irregular branches and relatively smooth, brownish-grey bark. Mosambi has lots of and leaves of Mosambi are compound, with acuminate leaflets 6 to 17 cm long and 3 to 8 cm wide. Mosambi flowers are white with excellent fragrance. Usually, Mosambi fruits are green and become light yellowish on ripening.

Scientific / Botanical Name of Mosambi

Citrus limetta.

Mosambi Common Names

Mousambi.
Musambi.
Sweet lime.
Sweet lemon.
Sweet limetta.

Mosambi in Indian Languages

Mosambi/मोसंबी : Hindi.
Battayi: Telugu.
Mosambi : Marathi.
ಮೋಸಂಬಿ:
Mosambi : Bengali.
નારંગી :
சாத்துக்குடி : Tamil.
മോസമ്പി : Malayalam.

Mosambi Varieties / Mosambi Cultivars

Rangpur / Rangapuri.
Sathgudi.
Jemberi.

The top Mosambi Production States in India

Telangana.
Andhra Pradesh.
Maharashtra.
Madhya Pradesh.
Karnataka.
Punjab.
Bihar.
Assam.
Mizoram.
Jammu & Kashmir.

Climate for Mosambi Cultivation

For commercial Mosambi cultivation, a dry climatic condition with about 60 to 75 cm of rainfall from June to September is required. It also needs well-defined summer and winter seasons.

Soil Requirement for Mosambi Cultivation

Mosambi plants thrive well in well-drained red soils or loamy soils. The soil pH should be between 6.5 to 7.5 for optimal growth and higher yields. If you are planning to cultivate Mosambi on large scale, a soil test should be carried out. Mosambi plants are sensitive to waterlogging hence well-drainage should be provided otherwise root rot will kill these plants.

Propagation in Mosambi Cultivation

Read this: Plant Nursery.

Propagation of Mosambi is done by budding (budded plants). Nursery-raised rootstock is transplanted in the main field.

Planting Season for Mosambi Cultivation

The time of planting Mosambi depends on the region and climate. Usually, in south India, Mosambi is planted from October end to January.

Land Preparation, Planting and Spacing in Mosambi Cultivation

The field should be prepared well by giving a couple of ploughings. Land should be levelled and brought to fine tilth stage. Any weeds and rocks should be removed as part of land preparation. Pits should be prepared with a dimension of 3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet (Width x Length x Depth). The pit-to-pit or plant-to-plant distance should 20 to 22 feet. A row-to-row distance of 20 to 22 feet should be maintained. It is recommended to expose these pots for sun couple of weeks before actual planting starts. This can comfortably accommodate a plant density of 85 to 90 plants. High-density planting of Mosambi is possible in hilly areas. It is better to plant good distances as these trees go very big and occupy a good radius.

You should purchase high-quality, disease-free Mosambi plants from certified nurseries to transplant in your prepared field. These seedlings/saplings should be at least 2 years of age (grown in nursery beds, usually Rootstock is raised in nurseries).

Place the saplings at the center of the pits and cover them with topsoil. Irrigate the plant base immediately.

Irrigation in Mosambi Cultivation

Immediately after planting the saplings of Mosambi, watering should be done for proper root establishments. The frequency of irrigation depends on climate and variety and soil type. The Rangpur Mosambi variety is little tolerant to drought conditions can survive even if you provide irrigation than recommended intervals. Usually, you should ensure soil moisture at the plant base. Mosambi garden does not require any water in monsoon season, however, in winter, irrigation should be carried out every 3 to 4 days and in summer every alternate day. Avoid too much watering as these pants cannot tolerate waterlogging. Most commercial Mosambi farmers adopt a drip irrigation system for best yields and plant growth. You can get a subsidy for a drip system from the local horticulture department.

Pruning in Mosambi Cultivation

Pruning is a process of removing unwanted leaves/branches/stems. Pruning of Mosambi has to be done for straight growth and to form a strong framework of the plant. Pruning is done to encourage new growth. For proper growth of the trunk, Remove the shoots in 50 cm to 60 cm near ground level. The Centre of the Mosambi plant should remain open. Make sure to remove water suckers at the early stages of plant growth.

Manures and Fertilizers in Mosambi Cultivation

Nitrogen should be applied in 2 doses during March and October. However, Farmyard manure like cow dung, Phosphorous, and Potash should be applied in the month of October.

Manures and Fertilizers	I year (kg)/plant	Annual increase (kg)/plant	From 6th year (kg)/plant
Well decomposed farmyard manure (FYM)	10	5	30
N (Nitrogen)	0.2	0.1	0.6
P2O5 (phosphorus)	0.1	0.025	0.2
K2O (Potash)	0.1 0	0.040	0.3

Manures should be applied in the basin 75 cm away from the trunk and incorporated in the soil. Solution containing Sulphate of Zinc (0.5%), Iron (0.25%), Magnesium (0.5%), Manganese (0.05%), Boron (0.1%) and Molybdenum (0.003%) should be sprayed once in 90 days at the time of new flush production. In addition to that apply 50 grams in each of Sulphate of Zinc, Manganese, and Iron/tree/ year.

Intercultural Operations in Mosambi Cultivation

Weed control: It is always advised to have a weed-free field. Manual weeding at plant base and shallow cultivation between rows for every 4 months should be carried out. There are many herbicides are also available to effectively control the weeds in Mosambi cultivation. You can use glyphosate at the rate of 1.6 liter/150 liters of water. Use glyphosate only on weeds, not on Mosambi plants.
Mulching: You can mulch the plants for controlling soil temperatures which save the water from evaporation. You can use plastic mulch materials available in the market.
Intercrops: You can utilize interspaces of Mosambi orchards for growing nitrogen-fixing crops until the plants start flowering during the initial 3 years of plantation. Green gram, black gram or any other legume crops, groundnut, vegetables like beans can be cultivated.

Pest and Diseases in Mosambi / Plant Care of Mosambi

Mosambi plants are prone to pests and diseases.

Pests: Leaf miner, Citrus Psylla, Scale Insects and Aphids, and Mealy Bugs are common pests found in Mosambi cultivation. For symptoms and control measures, contact the local horticulture department.
Diseases: Citrus / Mosambi Canker, Gummosis, Powdery mildew, Black Spot, Zinc Deficiency, and Iron deficiency are common diseases found in Mosambi cultivation. For symptoms of these diseases and control measures, contact your local horticulture professional.

Harvesting in Mosambi Cultivation

Mosambi plants start flowering after 3 years of plantation. You should remove this flowering for better and string fruiting for next year. You can start getting yield from the 4th year of planting. You can manually harvest by using any sharp sickle. You can get two harvests in a year one from April to May and the other is in August to September. Usually, Mosambi fruit turns green to light yellowish color on maturity. Don’t allow fruits to ripen fully on the tree.

Yield in Mosambi Cultivation

The yield of Mosambi crop depends on soil type, variety, irrigation, plant age, season, and other crop management practices. You can get crop 2 times a year (April- May, and August-September). You can expect commercial yield only after the 4th year of plantation. during the initial years, you can get 60 kg/plant or 5 tonnes/acre. After the 5th year, yield increases to 100 kg/plant or 9 tonnes /acre. You can expect peak (maximum) yields in 10-year-old plantations. The economical lifespan of Mosambi is about 20 years. During last year’s, you can observe reduced yields.

Post-Harvesting in Mosambi Cultivation

Harvested Mosambi fruits should be cleaned, graded (on size and color), and packed to transport to local fruit markets. Sometimes, you can find fruit selling agents who can buy in bulk at the farm gate.

Cost and Profits in Mosambi Cultivation

When it comes to the economics of Mosambi cultivation, profits always depend on market demand and yielding time. Especially those who get the early crop can get good profits.

Now let us calculate 5 acres Mosambi cultivation cost and profits.

Assumptions:

Land: 5 acres (Own) with drip system.

Plant age: 5 years (after planting in the field). (Note the crop yield doubles as the plant grows further).

For 1 acre plantation/year = planting material + plantation expenses + fertilizers/manures + Other maintenance expenses = Rs 40, 000.
Total expenses for 5 acres of Mosambi (A) = 5 x Rs 40,000 = Rs 2,00,000.
Yield/acre /year = Number of plants/acre x Fruits weight/plant = 90 x 60 = 5400 kg = 5 tonnes.
Market cost of Mosambi = 20,000 /ton.
Total Income /acre/year = 5.5 x Rs. 20,000 = 1,10,000.
Total Income from 5 acres of plantation/year (B) = 5 x Rs. 1,10,000 = Rs 5,50,000.
Net profit from 5 acres of Mosambi cultivation / year = Total Income (B) – Total expenses (A) = Rs 5,50,000 – Rs 2,00,000 = 3,50,000

Note: After the 5th year, you can expect fruits of 9 tonnes/acre or 100kg/plant.

In case if you are interested in this: How To Grow Organic Lettuce.

13 COMMENTS

vamshidhar reddy marri May 22, 2018 At 6:01 am

is the mosambi/ sweetlime income. per crop or per year(2 crops). kindly mention clearly.

thanks

- agrifarming May 23, 2018 At 4:23 pm
  
  The Mosambi/ Sweetlime income mentioned is for whole year. some orchards yields 2 times per year some even 3 times.
  
G.B.Varadaraj June 24, 2018 At 5:34 am

Please let me know where to buy quality Mosambi plants .I am planning to plant in 10 acres of land.I will be needing around 1000 plants.

- agrifarming June 26, 2018 At 1:20 pm
  
  Well, we are not sure where you located. However, Quality and Healhty Mosambi plants are available near Tirupathi, Andhra pradesh and Nagapur, Maharashtra.
  
  - Vinayreddy Vinayreddy June 7, 2021 At 6:56 am
    
    Can you tell me particular place in tirupati and andhrapradesh.Do u have any contact details for the plants
    
Sadashiv Rao November 4, 2018 At 3:26 pm

Sir, can we grow Mosambi in Chiplun or Mahad in Maharastra. I am seriously thinking of Buying 20 acres. Please enlighten. Thank you in advance.

- agrifarming November 18, 2018 At 2:25 pm
  
  Mosambi usually grown in red sandy soils with good drainage and organic matter. If your area is with of black soils, then there is no use as they won’t grow well in black soils.
  
Sadashiv Rao November 4, 2018 At 3:28 pm

Sir, How much each a 3 year old Mosambi plant cost?

- agrifarming November 18, 2018 At 2:22 pm
  
  As we know 3 to 6 months old Mosambi plant costs about Rs. 80 to 100. Not sure about 3 years old. You should check with popular plant nurseries.
  
Harinath January 15, 2020 At 4:55 pm

Hi sir,

I want to start mosambi farming in 3 acres of my red soil land.

Please guide.

D sreenivasulu February 17, 2020 At 9:49 pm

I purchased musambi plants in rajamundry 4 yrs back so rajamundry plants some people speak to this plants not orginal so please give you r suggest

Siva Sankar Reddy K February 9, 2021 At 12:52 pm

Hi Bro,

Hope you are doing good. Thanks for the detailed article, its really helpful for beginners.

I am planning to have this farming in 5 acres of red land in Kurnool District (Near Kodumuru). Any suggestion on Nursery near Kurnool to get the quality plants and will they provide any service after planting?. Please suggest.

Rajib Roy January 11, 2025 At 6:18 pm

Sir, I use boring water for irrigation purpose. It has a TDS of 1500 ppm. Is it suitable for Musambi farming?

Mosambi Cultivation, Cost and Profits

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