Greenie Gains Attention at Citrus Fruit Display

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) hosted its last scheduled citrus fruit display of the year on Dec. 17 in Lake Alfred. The December display is considered the best of the season due to the number and diversity of varieties available.

There were about 25 fresh fruit varieties on display and four new orange juice selections. According to Peter Chaires, executive director of the New Varieties Development and Management Corp., fruit displays are a key part of the variety development process that benefits the industry.

“The December fruit display here at CREC is one of our most important of the season because it provides the opportunity to evaluate so much material,” he said. “For the citrus breeders, the feedback they receive at these events, especially from growers and packers, is invaluable in the variety development process. Understanding this is a busy time with the holiday season underway, we really would like to encourage more participation in this fruit display.”

One of the mandarin varieties that has been a perennial favorite at these events is nicknamed Greenie. It got the name because of its tendency to not color up well in some of the main citrus-production regions of Florida due to the lack of cooler weather in those areas. Despite being green, the fruit is sweet and flavorful.

Greenie is finding new life in North Florida and in South Georgia where temperatures are cold enough to give the fruit a great orange color at harvest. Tests this season on North Florida packing lines indicate the fruit will run well on them.

“The variety has done very well in trials in North Florida,” said Fred Gmitter, the UF/IFAS citrus breeder who developed Greenie. “It is among the more cold-hardy varieties we’ve tested up there. The flavor is even better than we’ve had here further south. It is very sweet and orange in color in that environment.” During the fruit display, attendees were polled for a new name for Greenie. Gmitter said to stay tuned for more details on the new name.