Citrus Variety Evaluation

Graeme Sanderson, Troy Witte, Andrew Creek NSW DPIKevin Lacey, WA Dept. of Agric.Simon Powell, Citrus Australia

Kym Thiel, IDO, SA

New Varieties (31)

2005 11 PBR, 2 Public2006 4 PBR, 2 Public2008 4 PBR, 4 Public

2009 (spring) 1 PBR, 2 Public2009 (propagate) 1 Public

20 PBR 11 Public

PBR variety managers

ANFIC (14) + Jempi (4) + Tango, Daisy LS

OLD DPI (2) – LS Murcotts

CSIRO – 2 mandarins + ? Variety Access (CitroGold) – South AfricanAgriexchange – Sunsmooth, SummerinaChislett Developments – M7 navel

Top Ten varieties 2000- 07Variety Budwood Sales

Imperial mandarin 470,846

Lane Late navel 352,159

Washington navel 323,813

Tahiti lime 270,346

Hamlin orange 245,405

W. Murcott Afourer mandarin* 237,682

Salustiana orange 230,136

Murcott mandarin* 220,840

Eureka lemon* 214,670Navelina navel (7.5) 179,275

Climate: heat unit mapping & cultivar requirements

Sunraysia site

National sites - 2009South Aust Qld

Riverina - NSW Reworked trees - Sunraysia

Seedling tree and grafted tree (3 yr old)

Rootstock compatibility

Tree Growth Rate

Butt Circumference (cm)Canopy Height and Spread (metres)

EUREKA SL

Butt Circumference (cm) Eureka SL (Benton)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Qld Sunraysia Riverina SA WA

Butt 07 Butt 08Butt 09

Yield and Fruit size distribution

Fruit Quality

Juice ContentSugar content (Brix)Acid %Brix:Acid ratio

Coolroom and Juicing Lab

MANDALATE

ACID % on Tri & Citrange, Sunraysia 2008

00.20.40.60.8

11.21.41.61.8

2

Jun-08

Jul-08Aug-08

Sep-08

Trifoliata

Citrange

%

B:A ratio Citrange, Sunraysia 2008

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

13/06/2008

27/06/2008

11/07/2008

25/07/2008

8/08/2008

22/08/2008

Citrange

B:A

Rind Age

Fruitlet Drop 5/02/2009

Mandalate July 2009

Information SheetsMandalate mandarin

Estimated Maturity Period Region

Riverina

Sunraysia

Sep Oct NovMay June July AugJan Feb Mar April

Origin: Italy, Triploid hybrid of Fortune mandarin and Avana mandarin Skin: Easy peel, orange colour, slightly pebbled Average Rind Thickness: 3.3mm Internal Quality: High sugar and high acid content. Juicy Average Seed Number per Fruit: <1 Juice Percent: 48% ºBrix: 13.6 Acid Percent: 1.3% Brix/Acid Ratio: 10.5 Average Fruit Weight: 125gm Average Fruit Diameter: 65mm Comments: Late maturing. Fruit needs to be retained on the tree in good condition to allow the juice acid level to decline. Stop-Drop®/Cit-tite® sprays along with GA application would be a required to hold fruit on the tree and maintain skin condition. Trees would also require crop load manipulation to increase fruit size and reduce alternate bearing. Trifoliata rootstock should not be used for Mandalate due to its tendency to elevate the acid content of fruit. Mandalate has similarities to Imperial mandarin and may find a market niche in Australia if the cultural requirements for this variety can be met

Extension to the local industry

Variety field walk (June 09) – Public varieties

Citrus growers –Public and PBR

Market buyers

Primosole – Public variety

Granulation April 08

Orogrande clementine (Public)

Sidi Aissa clementine (Public)

Nour clementine (Public)

Tarocco orange x clementine (PBR)

AlkantaraC1867C1829Tacle

Maturity period: mid May – early July (Sunraysia)

EUREKA SL (South Africa - PBR)

Nectar (Israel - PBR)

Fruitlet Thinning March 2009

Before

After

Nectar Fruit size

Queensland May 09 Sunraysia July 09

OR (Israel - PBR)

MOR (Israel - PBR)

IRM1 (Qld - PBR)

Gold Nugget – Uni of California - PBR

Mandalate (Italy - PBR)

Predicted areas for blood oranges?

T. Khurshid, Dareton

Blood oranges grown at DaretonRuby Blood Sanguine Harvard Blood Maltese Blood

Arnold Blood (Moro type)

Chill Units (hours): 5-100C

2004: 4562008: 576

2004

2008

Tahir Khurshid, NSW DPI Dareton

Tarocco Meli (late) Tapi (early)

ALKANTARA - PBR

Sunraysia 15/6/08 Italy

Alkantara 2009

June 2009 - Grafted tree

C1867 - PBR

C1867 – cool storage for 3 weeks

C1829 - PBR

TACLE - PBR

Leaf drop C1829, Tacle and Alkantara

Tacle May 09C1829 May 09

Alkantara May 08

Tarocco hybrids sensitivity to 2-4D

Future of Varietal Evaluation

Current project ended 30/6/091 Year extension with Auscitrus as project leader sort.Submission to HAL for on going project with NSW DPI as lead agency?

Hockney navel - Troyer v’s C35Troyer citrange C35 citrange

Av height: 2.2m, Spread: 2.2m Av height: 2.8m, Spread: 2.5m

Hockney navel rootstock comparison C35, C32 and Troyer citranges 2007-08 (Cumulative)

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

C35 C32 Troyer0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

under 125 100 80 64 over

C35C32Troyer

Row Wt. (kg) Fruit number