Preventing Citrus Peel Plugging and Creasing

Creasing - the occurrence of narrow sunken furrows on the rind surface which makes processing more difficult as the peel disintegrates and is difficult to separate from the pulp and juice.

Plugging - the removal of the peel in the stem end area of the fruit leads to increased incidence of post-harvest

Crop Nutrition and Peel Plugging & Creasing

Better potassium nutrition reduces the incidence of both creasing and plugging by improving peel integrity.

Calcium nitrate is particularly effective at reducing creasing and plugging. In this trial CN halved the number of creased fruit and was more effective than calcium chloride.