Job Role Guide  |  Agriculture Sector

Squeeze a lime over your dal, peel a juicy kinnow, or sip fresh mosambi juice. Each of these citrus fruits depends on a grower who knows when to water, prune and pick.

A citrus fruit grower raises crops such as lemon, lime, sweet orange, mandarin and kinnow in orchards. The work includes preparing land, planting budded saplings, shaping trees, managing water and nutrients, and protecting fruit from pests and diseases. Citrus is valued for vitamin C and steady market demand, so skilled growers can build a long-lasting source of income.

What will you learn?

• Understand citrus cultivation and land preparation
• Learn citrus propagation and plantation methods
• Practice training, pruning, and intercultural operations
• Manage irrigation, nutrients, pests, and diseases
• Harvest citrus fruits and learn farm management

A day in the life

Tools & equipment in the lab (61)

Auger	Disc Harrow	Digging Spade
Hoe	Knapsack Sprayer	Levellers
Plough	Pump sets	Rigid Tillers
Kodali	Pronged hoes	Spade
Fork	Hoe-cum-rack	Shovel
Garden Rake	Hand Leveller	Crow –Bar
Cultivator	Axe	Budding Knife
Grafting knife	Budding and grafting knife	Pruning knife
Secateur	Pruning Saw	Hedge Shear
Tree Pruner	Lopping Shear	Grass Shear
Khurpi	Weeding Hook	Straight Blade Hand Hoe
Hand Cultivator	Rocker Sprayer	Foot Sprayer
Hand Sprayer	Hand rotary duster	Sickle
Hedge cutter	Hydrometer	Cutting knife
Peeling knife	Coring knife	Can sealer
Can opener	Dehydrator	Crown corking machine
Hand rotary sieve	Forking machine	Hand Refractometer
Screw type juice extractor	A compact spreader	Tractor
Hand tools like; shovels, rakes, scythes, picks	Sorting machines	Soil testing kit
Measuring cylinder	Power tiller	Power sprayer
Weighing machine

Skills you will build

• Planting budded citrus saplings at correct depth and spacing
• Managing basin irrigation while avoiding waterlogging and root rot
• Removing water shoots and shaping trees through pruning
• Recognising leaf miner, citrus psylla and canker symptoms
• Grading citrus fruits by size, colour and firmness

Where you can work

• Citrus orchards growing lemon, orange or kinnow
• Fruit nurseries producing budded citrus plants
• Juice extraction and fruit processing units
• Wholesale fruit markets and grading centres

Estimated lab setup cost

Approximate Indian market rates (Oct 2026, incl. GST) for the curriculum item list. For budget planning only; get final quotes from vendors.

Questions students ask

Why does citrus need special attention to drainage?

Citrus roots are sensitive to standing water, which can cause root rot and gummosis. Good drainage channels and correctly made basins keep the root zone moist but not soggy. Learning this protects trees through heavy monsoon rains and keeps orchards productive for years.

Can citrus growing be combined with other crops?

Yes. In young orchards, short crops like vegetables or pulses are often grown between rows to earn early income and improve soil. Growers must keep intercrops away from tree basins and avoid crops that compete heavily for water or attract shared pests.

What higher study options suit someone interested in citrus farming?

After Class 12, you can pursue a diploma or degree in horticulture or agriculture. Short training programmes on nursery raising, budding and plant protection are also useful. With experience, you can become a farm supervisor, nursery manager or run your own orchard.

Citrus trees reward steady care with fruit year after year. Learn their needs well, and you can turn a few acres into a fresh, healthy business.