Studies accomplished in the field about the extension and distribution of roots are important for management practices. The aim of this work was to study the root system of four rootstocks such as Rangpur lime (Citrus limonia Osb.), Rough lemon (Citrus jambhiri Lush.), Cleopatra mandarin (Citrus reticulate Blanco) and C 13 citrange [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb. x Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.], budded under 'Ponkan' mandarin trees (Citrus reticulata Blanco), using the trench method. The experimental outline was the one of randomized blocks with four treatments and three replications, with one trench for each plot. The Cleopatra mandarin presented higher amount of roots only in the row when compared to other rootstocks. The effective root depth ranged from 0.36 to 0.75 m in the rows and from 0.46 m to 0.74 in inter rows. There were no significant differences among rootstocks concerning radicular effective root distance.
Citrus; roots; trench profile method
