Florida Foundation Seed Producers, Inc. (FFSP) has signed a licensing agreement with New Varieties Development and Management Corp. (NVDMC) to introduce new citrus varieties showing tolerance to HLB. The HLB-tolerant varieties covered by the agreement are:
- N14-10 Hamlin, which has improved Brix and soluble solids
- OLL-DC-3-40 sweet orange, which has improved Brix, color and juice scores
- OLL-DC-3-36 sweet orange, which has improved Brix, color and juice scores
- C4-10-42 mandarin hybrid, which is useful for processing and blending into not-from-concentrate (NFC) orange juice to increase Brix and color
- RBA 13-18 mandarin hybrid, which is useful for processing and blending into NFC orange juice to increase Brix and color
- Orange 14 rootstock, which has performed well under HLB pressure, including in an area with heavy diaprepes/phytophthora pressure
The collaboration also includes the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and the Florida Department of Citrus. It aims to accelerate access to these HLB-tolerant varieties for Florida’s citrus nurseries and growers. The goal is to support the recovery of the citrus industry by providing growers with solutions that can better withstand HLB while maintaining fruit quality and yield.
Patents have been filed for the six varieties, and they join the 45 additional UF/IFAS varieties that FFSP has licensed for propagation and sale to Florida growers since 2009. While none of these varieties are HLB-resistant, work continues at UF/IFAS to identify long-term solutions for the Florida citrus industry.
The six varieties were developed at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred by plant breeders Fred Gmitter and Jude Grosser.
Grosser said the varieties “will improve the quality of our NFC orange juice and contribute to a sustainable and profitable Florida citrus industry.”
Gmitter added that the varieties “are very promising and worthy of trialing in commercial groves … At this time, these are among our best hopes to meet industry needs.”
“Though these have not been widely tested, the University of Florida Citrus Plant Improvement Team is encouraged by their performance and has made them available for broader-scale planting and evaluation,” said Peter Chaires, executive director of NVDMC.
Florida citrus nurseries should contact NVDMC to obtain a propagation sublicense.
FFSP is a non-profit corporation and direct support organization of the University of Florida. It is responsible for all technology transfer aspects for new plant genetics developed by UF/IFAS plant breeders.
Source: FFSP
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