HLB has reduced citrus production across the board, but early varieties like Hamlin have taken an even bigger hit. Hamlin has been plagued by the disease and fruit drop, which has left a void in the juice-processing segment in the early season.
Growers who have been replanting have mostly relied on later-season varieties like Valencia because it seems to be a safer bet than Hamlin. But Manjul Dutt, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor of horticultural sciences, has been studying some early-season options that could help replenish the diminished early-season volume of citrus.
Dutt spoke about his research at the recent Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo and in the latest episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. One of those early varieties is Parson Brown, which is more than 150 years old.
Due to feedback Dutt was hearing from growers and industry stakeholders about how the Parson Brown was withstanding HLB better than other early varieties, he began studying the variety a few years ago. He found Parson Brown planted in eight different locations across the state by eight growers, who collaborated on the research. These Parson Brown trees had been planted near Hamlin groves, which offered a chance for comparison.
“In all of these locations, we observed that the Parson Brown trees were performing superior to that of Hamlin,” Dutt says. “It is important to note they were just as infected with HLB as the Hamlin trees, but in most of these locations the Parson Brown trees were 40 to 50 years old, and we could not find Hamlin nearby that were more than 10 years old. That tells us a lot about the Parson Brown’s longevity and ability to survive in HLB-endemic conditions.”
During the podcast, Dutt also discusses research on survivor trees found in Lake County, Florida and the Carney 2 and 3 varieties, which are Parson Brown clones.
Don’t miss the August All In For Citrus podcast to learn more about these early-season sweet oranges. The podcast is a partnership between UF/IFAS and AgNet Media.
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