Lisbon (lemon)
A true lemon of Portuguese origin grown in India for its clean-looking, naturally acidic fruit, which hangs inside the tree's canopy.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Lemon & Lime
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Bearing from year 3 (grafted plant)
- Expected yield
- Medium
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Moderate
- Release
- Believed to descend from Portugal's "gallego" lemon; introduced to Australia 1824, exported to the USA c. 1874–75, commercially released mid-to-late 19th century — not an India-bred variety
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Lisbon is a true lemon (Citrus limon) believed to descend from the 'gallego' lemon of Portugal. It reached Australia as early as 1824 and the United States around 1874–75, and was released commercially in the mid-to-late 19th century. It is an international variety grown in India, not one bred here. The fruit is medium to large, oblong to elliptical (5–8 cm), tapering slightly to a prominent nipple, with green-yellow skin and naturally acidic flesh. It grows inside the tree's canopy, which protects it from weather and gives a smoother, cleaner-looking fruit that commercial markets favour.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Lisbon only as a trial if you want a true lemon with a clean, smooth, commercial look. The fruit is medium to large, oblong to elliptical (5–8 cm), with green-yellow skin and naturally acidic flesh, and it grows inside the tree's canopy, which protects it from weather. One report calls it low-yielding and short-lived in India, and no second source confirms it. Plant a small block beside Eureka or Pant Lemon 1 first. Choose Pant Lemon 1 or Kagzi Kalan for India-selected lemons.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- One report calls Lisbon low-yielding and short-lived in India, and no second source confirms it, so plant a trial block before a large one
- No India-specific disease data was found, so keep your usual canker and leaf-miner watch
- Eureka and Lisbon are both international lemons grown in India, so ask the nursery for plants with a written source and compare the two on your own land
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Maharashtra
A ten-tree test before you trust Lisbon
Lisbon is an international lemon with a clean, smooth look, but one report calls it low-yielding and short-lived in India, and no second source backs that up. Since nothing settles it, test it yourself.
Plant ten Lisbon trees and ten Eureka trees on the same soil, with the same spacing, water and feed. For two seasons, write down the number of fruit per tree, the weight of ten fruit and the share of fruit that grades as top quality.
Also write down if any tree dies or declines early, because short life is the specific worry. After two seasons you will know which variety to scale, and you will have risked only twenty trees to learn it.
Where the planting material comes from
This variety is budded onto a rootstock, not grown from seed. Seed out of its fruit will not come up as this variety, so it cannot be kept as seed. Buy budded plants from a registered nursery or a government farm, so the plant is true to the variety and free of disease.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Lemon & Lime variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assam Lemon (Kaji Nemu) | GI-tagged aromatic Assam lemon, large near-seedless fruit | Bearing from year 3–4 (grafted plant) | 100–130 q/ha at full bearing | Assam |
| Balaji | Leading Andhra Pradesh acid lime, round smooth juicy fruit | Bearing from year 3 (grafted plant) | About 13.8 t/ha in a Karnataka trial | Andhra Pradesh |
| Eureka (lemon) | True thornless lemon with tender, sour, mostly seedless fruit | Bearing from year 3 (grafted plant) | Medium | Maharashtra |
| Kagzi Kalan | True lemon bearing twice a year, for fresh and juice use | Bearing from year 3 (grafted plant) | Medium–high | West Bengal, Assam, Uttar Pradesh |
| Lisbon (lemon)this page | Clean-looking international true lemon, unproven yield in India | Bearing from year 3 (grafted plant) | Medium | Maharashtra |
| Pant Lemon 1 | University-selected lemon from Kagzi Kalan for the Tarai belt | Bearing from year 3–4 (grafted plant) | 150–180 q/ha at full bearing | Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab |
| Pramalini (Kagzi lime) | Tall, many-fruited acid lime with mid-range trial yield | Bearing from year 3 (grafted plant) | About 12.5 t/ha in a Karnataka trial | Andhra Pradesh |
| Sai Sharbati | Private-nursery acid lime with larger, very tart fruit | Bearing from year 3 (grafted plant) | About 9.8 t/ha in a Karnataka trial | Andhra Pradesh |
| Vikram (Kagzi lime) | Best-yielding acid lime in recent trials, with long shelf life | Bearing from year 3–4 (grafted plant) | 120–150 q/ha at full bearing | Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Lemon & Lime is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Lemon & Lime plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Lemon & Lime variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Lemon & Lime into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Lemon & Lime rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Lemon & Lime seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Where did Lisbon lemon originate?
It is believed to descend from Portugal's native "gallego" lemon, introduced to Australia in 1824 and exported to the USA around 1874–75, with commercial release in the mid-to-late 19th century.
Does Lisbon lemon yield well in India?
One report calls it low-yielding and short-lived in India, and no second source confirms it. Treat that as a caution and test a small block before you plant a large one.
What makes Lisbon lemon fruit look so clean?
Its fruit grows inside the tree's canopy rather than on exposed outer branches, which protects it from weather and wind and gives it a smoother, more unblemished appearance favoured by commercial markets.
How does Lisbon fruit compare to Eureka?
Both are true lemons on the same large, acidic, thick-skinned line, sharing green-yellow skin and naturally acidic flesh, so they are grouped together as sharing the same commercial fruit profile.
Is Lisbon an India-bred lemon variety?
No — it is an internationally recognised cultivar with Portuguese-Australian-American breeding history, grown in India as a commercial variety rather than developed by an Indian institute.
How do I test Lisbon fairly against Eureka?
Plant ten trees of each on the same soil and spacing, with the same water and feed. Count fruit per tree and weigh a sample of ten fruit every season for two seasons, and note how many fruit went into the top grade.
How big are Lisbon fruit?
Medium to large, 5–8 cm, oblong to elliptical, tapering slightly to a prominent nipple, with green-yellow skin. That is larger than Eureka's small elliptical fruit, so price and pack them as a different size.
Why does the fruit look so clean?
Because the fruit hangs inside the canopy, shaded from wind and sun, it carries fewer scars and blemishes. Prune so that light and air still reach inside, because a very dense canopy invites disease.
How do I buy Lisbon plants safely?
Buy grafted plants from a nursery that gives a written source for the mother tree. Check that the leaves are free of leaf-miner trails and canker spots, and keep the bill and tag until the first fruit proves the variety.
Is Lisbon a good choice for Maharashtra?
Maharashtra is the listed state, but no Indian trial result is published. Treat it as a variety to test on your own land, in a small block, before you plant for sale.
Sourced from: Minor fruits, TNAU Agritech Portal (lists Lisbon among the lemon varieties). editorial policy.