The Valencian Institute of Agricultural Research (IVIA) has initiated a citrus improvement programme aimed at obtaining new Clementine varieties, with the conviction that mandarins are the most demanded citrus fruit. Spain is an undisputed leader in production, and from all options available, Clementines are still the most successful mandarins due to their flavour and easy peeling, in addition to how perfectly adapted they are to the region's production conditions.
The Clementine varieties that will serve as a base for the project are the Clemenules, Fina and Oronules; the most popular and appreciated by growers and consumers.
From these three varieties, a total of 50,000 new lines will be generated through irradiation technologies. An evaluation and selection will later be made of the ones offering significant improvements in terms of organoleptic qualities, agronomic yield, productivity, maturing and harvesting period, pre-harvest durability, and resistance to illnesses and alterations in the maturing process.
One of the key objectives is to obtain varieties with earlier or later maturing periods than those of standard Clementines, with the goal of extending the season both at a domestic and international level.
Source: lasprovincias.es