In a virtual presentation, plant breeder Jude Grosser discussed recently released citrus varieties that might work well in the fresh fruit market. Grosser is a professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center.
Grosser described Marathon as the ‘best option’ for a high-quality mandarin, saying: “They’re doing very well against HLB”, with virtually no HLB-symptomatic fruit. He added the fruit is delicious, seedless and easy-to-peel. Other mandarins he discussed included the UF 950, which is easy-to-peel, seedless and Clementine size; RES 19-56, a good candidate for citrus under protective screen; Gator Bites, a mandarin hybrid that is nearly seedless, easy-to-peel and has HLB tolerance with proper nutrition practices; N40FW-5-1, which Grosser says has exceptional flavor, is not completely seedless, is not a ‘zipper skin’ but can be peeled, and has reasonable HLB tolerance.
Grosser’s virtual presentation on new varieties and rootstocks can be viewed here.
Read the full article on citrusindustry.net.