The program manager for the UC, Timothy E. Williams, presented the new varieties released in the last six years and two new varieties that his program plans to launch this summer, after investigating them for more than 15 years.
"The Tango, DaysiSL, KinnowLS and FairchildLS mandarin varieties were launched between 2006 and 2012, we will launch the EncoreLS and Nova-No varieties next July," he said.
These have similar characteristics: they contain less than 2 seeds per fruit with high cross-pollination, resistant to Alternaria alternata (a fungus of citrus), with a 50 MT / ha average production, a size of 66mm and orange and smooth skin.
For Williams, further advantages of their varieties are the harvest times that each one of them has, some are early and others late. Moreover, in some cases the same plant can produce two seasons in one year and its fruits ripen in 1 or 2 months, depending on the variety.
The program had already launched hybrid varieties of mandarins USDA 88-2 and gold nugget, which were diploid and the TDEs that are triploid. They have a late maturity, high brix with excellent flavour, good form and reach up to 160 kilos per tree.
He said the investigations program aimed at producing new triploid hybrids improved varieties or by irradiation (mutation), of better quality, seeded, with good production and can adapt to extreme climates and most soils.
"The desirable citrus characteristics we want to produce are: seedless or with few seeds, good flavour, having good seasons, easy to peel (the industry requires it), dark skin colour, medium size and the fruit to remain in the tree so it's not lost", he described.
He said that the harvest and pruning are done manually and that only 700 to 1,000 trees are planted per hectare to avoid euthanasia or overproduction. The trees are up to 2 meters tall and must be trimmed each month to reduce fungus in the plant. He also stressed that the varieties don't need nets, so farmers can save up to US $4,000 per hectare without risking a reduction in their production.
Williams announced some projects that the UC program has on new citrus varieties.
"The new program's project for the future is to create a new variety of yellow seeded lemons because the California market requires it, restaurants ask for them, with a large size and a price that will be related to that," he said.
