The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) on Sept. 17 approved a Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) request to exercise the right to eight new varieties from the Florida Foundation Seed Producers (FFSP). The FCC, which governs the FDOC, will retain exclusive rights to the varieties for eight years. The varieties are recognized for attributes beneficial to the Florida citrus industry.
New Varieties Development and Management Corporation (NVDMC) will be the designee for licensing the varieties. The FDOC will work with the FFSP and NVDMC to help propagate the commercialization, sale and marketability of these varieties:
- KW-5-7 (tangerine) – Reasonable level of HLB tolerance; greater alternaria resistance and lower seed count compared to Dancy tangerine
- 18A-10-47 (tangor) – Near seedless, even under cross pollination; HLB-susceptible but performs well under citrus under protective screen for the fresh market; improvement compared to the Honey Murcott variety
- N40-16-7-11 (Valencia) – High level of HLB tolerance, noted for 34 years of survival and continued productivity in the field; quality is similar to traditional Valencia fruit
- C7-12-18 (mandarin hybrid) – Early seedless and easy peeling, maturing mid-season; notable good color, Brix and flavor, making it a favorable candidate for the fresh market or to be blended with not-from-concentrate (NFC) juice
- C4-14-51 (mandarin hybrid) – Seedless tangelo with excellent HLB tolerance; potential for fresh market or to be blended with NFC juice
- KE-9-9 (mandarin hybrid) – Nearly seedless and easy peeling, maturing early season; notable good color, Brix and flavor, making it a favorable candidate for the fresh market or to be blended with NFC juice
- STR-4-1 (rootstock) – New diploid rootstock derived from a mutation of X639; noted for its HLB tolerance
- N40-16-11-7 (grapefruit) – Noted for its greater tree growth, health and yield in HLB-endemic regions compared to Star Ruby and Ray Ruby
Source: Florida Department of Citrus
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