WHO: Citrus growers, packers, gift fruit shippers and others will sample the latest offerings from the UF/IFAS Plant Improvement Team.

WHAT: Growers, nurseries, packers, processors, gift fruit shippers, marketers and others will feel, taste and smell the latest citrus varieties being developed by the UF/IFAS Plant Improvement Team for the 2019-2020 season.

Among other new citrus, participants will taste, smell and feel the new early-maturing releases Bingo and Marathon. Both are delicious, easy-to-peel, seedless mandarin hybrids, said Jude Grosser, professor of plant cell genetics at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center.

Growers will also sample additional, unreleased mandarin selections, including the delicious, easy-to-peel BB4-8-20 and another favorite selection the breeders call “Greeny” because it has a green peel, but a deep orange sweet-tasting flesh. The fruit has an attractive bell-shape and is very easy to peel. Keep in mind that it is just mid-October, so these new seedless selections have potential to get future Florida citrus seasons off to a great start, Grosser said.

UF/IFAS breeders will also display a new early-maturing seedless and juicy variety, a sweet orange-like hybrid that is already exhibiting good external and internal color, with great flavor. A high-brix, dark red cybrid Flame grapefruit selection and a couple of very early-maturing tasty pink grapefruit-like hybrids will also be displayed.

Feedback from the participating display attendees as they sample each of the new varieties is important and helps the breeders decide which new varieties will move forward for release to the Florida citrus industry.

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Oct. 15.

WHERE: Ben Hill Griffin Hall at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, Florida.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu.

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