Citrus breeders work in collaboration with industry partners, marketers, and growers to ensure new varieties have a pathway to success. From a breeders’ standpoint developing a marketable variety involves balancing horticultural traits, consumer appeal, and supply chain practicality.
Some questions a breeder may consider during the development process are, is it desirable to the consumer as far as it’s taste, is appearance attractive, is it easy to peel and are there many seeds? Thinking about the grower is the tree manageable in size, does it yield abundantly, does the yield meet market demands in timing, is it compatible with common rootstocks, and could it be grown in different climates or soil types? In supply chain issues, would it store well, length of time for shelf life? Propagation methods are big considerations. Does it grow true to type, like apomictic seed or budwood, could it be patented? Is there a market niche or branding opportunity like ‘Cuties’, or ‘Ruby Red’? Successful variety must be a win for all, growers, packers, retailers and consumers. No pressure, right?
To get all these desired qualities and traits, combined and countless ways through natural cross breeding and directly by human breeding over thousands of years, has produced modern citrus varieties that meet and exceed most of the questions above. Most varieties have been bred from just a small group of original citrus species recorded. They are believed to be the Citron, Citrus medica grown in the Mediterranean region since 300B.C. The Mandarin, Citrus reticulata native to southeast Asia. The Pummelo or Shaddock, Citrus maxima named after Captain Shaddock, largest of all citruses, and the Papeda, Citrus micrantha.
From experiments, trials and even accidental cross-breeding, it’s amazing to consider how long citrus has been around and what it takes to develop specific traits that give us such a wonderful variety of citrus fruits today. For example, the reliable Satsuma Mandarin, hundreds of different cultivars have been developed from it. ‘Owari’ is the primary Satsuma cultivar probably because of its good fruit quality but others such as ‘Brown Select’, ‘Kara’, ‘Obawase’ different but desirable characteristics. The ‘Obawase’ fruit is considerably large than most Satsumas. The ‘Brown Select’ has a compact growth habit and skin is leathery and easy to peel.
Most new varieties that are under trial (that can be years) are labeled by numbers until they are released to be marketed, then given proper names. To learn more about the latest varieties and current trials subscribe to the Citrus podcast, and links to research evaluating are https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/CH116
https://citrusindustry.net/2025/02/18/citrus-nursery-source-new-varieties-released/
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https://citrusindustry.net/2025/02/18/citrus-nursery-source-new-varieties-released/
Hats off and thank you to all the breeders, researchers and growers from the past to present.
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