A call for competition to grow the new citrus varieties obtained by INRA Morocco. According to Agrimaroc, several new hybrid rootstocks have been obtained by directed crossing and some have even shown resistance to salinity. Some rootstock variety associations performing well in terms of quality and production have been defined for the country’s citrus fruit producing regions. Several diploid and triploid mandarin hybrids have been obtained, 9 of which have been registered in the official catalog and the others are currently being evaluated. Five orange varieties have been registered, as well as a very early orange variety. New mandarin hybrids and rootstocks from these genetic resources are being evaluated at the Regional Center for Agronomic Research in Kenitra, a center specialized in citrus fruit research at INRA.
For the productions to be competitive at the level of international markets, two criteria must be taken into consideration in a genetic improvement program: the quality of the product (aspermia, peeling ease, regularity of the peel and organoleptic quality) and spreading of the production by selecting and creating very early and/or very late varieties.
The National Institute for Agronomic Research (INRA) plans to launch, on May 25th 2021, a call for competition in order to select the nurserymen interested in growing the following citrus varieties obtained by INRA Morocco:
Mahdia Mandarins
Gharbaouia Mandarins
Maamora Mandarins
Triploid Hana Mandarins
Triploid Aya Mandarins
Mabrouka Mandarins
Chamsia Oranges
Source: agrimaroc.ma