For Florida growers and packinghouses looking for the next superfruit, help
is on the way.
State and federal researchers will release several new citrus varieties that
are either easy to peel or seedless or both, said Peter Chaires, executive
director of the New Varieties Development & Management Corp., a Florida
citrus industry group seeking to develop new citrus fruits.

Chaires reviewed the progress of new citrus varieties Thursday at the 47th
Annual Citrus Packinghouse Day at the University of Florida?s Citrus
Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. About 60 growers and
packinghouse officials attended.

Consumers in the U.S. and abroad are demanding both easy peeling and
seedless fresh fruit, but none of the oranges, grapefruit or tangerines
grown in Florida meet either standard.

Growers are also looking for fruit that will mature earlier or later than
October through June, the traditional Florida citrus season. Extending the
season would allow growers and packinghouses to stay in the market longer
and sell more fruit.

The development of citrus hybrids from the first plant in the lab to general
release to Florida growers can take close to 20 years. Genetically modified
hybrids can cut that time in half.

About a dozen new varieties have reached the ?early evaluation opportunity?
stage, which means developers have minimal regulatory clearance to release
limited numbers of seedlings to Florida growers for small plantings in their
groves, Chaires said.

That?s one of the last steps in determining whether the citrus tree growing
a new variety can produce a commercially viable crop in the soils and
climate common in Florida groves.

The goal is to develop enough information to release the new varieties
generally in five years, Chaires said.

One promising variety is a early maturing Valencia orange that could be
offered to growers in November, he said. The current Valencias produce the
highest quality juice but mature late in the season from March to June.

Other new varieties are not far behind, including eight easy peeling
tangerines that could be available for limited plantings next year, Chaires
said. Several of them are also seedless, and some mature early.

One promising early maturing tangerine with good flavor but has some seeds
could be available for general release in the spring, Chaires said.

A year away from release is a later maturing seedless Valencia, he said.

Behind these are thousands of new hybrids researchers are still working with
in labs and experimental groves operated at the Lake Alfred center and the
U.S. Department of Agriculture?s lab in Fort Pierce, Chaires said.

The new varieties corporation has also identified new varieties developed in
California and other countries, including Spain, Japan, Australia, Israel
and Italy, he said. Corporate officials are negotiating with officials there
for licenses to plant those varieties in Florida for early evaluation.

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