Agronomic and industrial evaluation of citrus varieties

• Grant number: 95/09283-5
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research Partnership for Technological Innovation - PITE
• Start date: August 01, 1996
• End date: July 31, 1999
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Carlos Donadio
• Grantee: Luiz Carlos Donadio
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Company: Montecitrus Trading S/A
• City: Jaboticabal

Abstract

This research project was aimed at the agronomic and industrial evaluation of new varieties and clones of orange trees, in a partnership between the Citrus Culture Experimental Station of Bebedouro (EECB-SP) and the company Montecitrus Trading. Nine varieties of “precocious” orange trees (those that give fruit in the north of the State of São Paulo from July to August) were evaluated, in partial substitution for those currently used in citrus farming, with the aim of improving productivity and quality of the final product - concentrated orange juice. Eight of them showed characteristics close to or even better than those of the Hamlin, presently the most planted precocious variety. The study of the “midseason” oranges (July to October) involved close to three dozen varieties, with the Tarocco A and Early Oblong varieties proving to be outstanding. In relation to the “late” varieties (September to January), it was concluded that those currently planted - Valência and Natal - show the best advantages. No less than 150 new varieties of orange trees alone were introduced into the EECB in the period 1997/98, during the research, which established data that will serve as a basis for future plantings. Further studies are looking to evaluate close to 250 other varieties. (AU)