Climate change and citrus nutrition: mechanisms, nutrient imbalances, and inclusive management

Climate change as a global issue is increasingly redefining the nutritional constraints in citriculture, thereby increasing the reliance on optimized use of nutrients and irrigation, while rising atmospheric CO₂ continues to influence the carbon(C)-nutrient balance. Citrus is an evergreen perennial with relatively shallow root system and prolonged fruit development period, the abiotic stresses interact across seasons to alter soil nutrient supply, root nutrient uptake kinetics, whole-tree mineral status, and eventually the fruit nutritional quality. We synthesized current evidences on climate-driven pathways affecting citrus nutrition, impact of high temperature, and water scarcity restricting nutrient mobility and acquisition, nutrient leaching due to heavy rainfall, poor aeration-induced anoxia-related nutrient constraints, and salinization disrupting ionic homeostasis via elevated (sodium/potassium ratio) Na/K and (sodium/calcium ratio) Na/Ca ratios in plant roots. We further collated multi-point facts, that elevated CO₂ stimulated biomass increase, yet dilutes tissue nutrient concentration, thereby increasing risks for nutrient deficiencies in citrus production system. Across regions, in economic terms, climate change translates into yield instability, fruit grade loss, and adding extra cost investments on irrigation and nutrient management. Finally, we identified priorities for climate-resilient citrus nutrition, as: monitoring-based diagnostics, precision fertigation using 4R (right source, right time, right rate, and right place) strategies, soil organic carbon-centered integrated soil fertility management (ISFM), phytobiome manipulation for microbial consortia development, and nutriomics-mediated climate proofing of rootstock-scion combinations. Together, these approaches provide a conceptual framework to sustain citrus productivity and fruit nutritional quality under current conundrum of climate change.