The Agricultural Research Council-Tropical and Subtropical Crops (ARC-TSC) Division is hosting a Cultivar Day at the Addo Research Station today (5th of July 2023) exhibiting the latest, “exciting selections” from the citrus and granadilla breeding programmes.
The ARC-TSC campus in South Africa’s Nelspruit (Mbombela) was opened in 1926, with citrus identified as a focal crop since 1951. The Addo Research Station in the Eastern Cape was established in 1947, with the first citrus orchards planted here in 1984. Nearly four decades later, the campus has registered 16 cultivars (grapefruit, mandarins and lemons), with well-known successes being the ARC Nadorcott mandarin (ARCCIT9) and the Eureka!™ Seedless Lemon, the first seedless lemon released on the market.
Several other selections are protected for upcoming Plant Breeders’ Rights registrations. Considering the exceptionally long time taken to develop new cultivars through conventional breeding approaches, the release of the above mentioned cultivars is a major achievement of the programme.
The Cultivar Day will offer stakeholders an opportunity to see and taste the most promising outcomes from this established breeding programme. Cara-Cara oranges, low-seeded lemons and mandarins will be on display with a sensory evaluation planned to assess consumer preference. A walk through the orchards is also on the programme for the day.
For the first time, role players will be able to sample new selections from the granadilla breeding programme that have the potential to fill market gaps (for emerging and commercial farmers) and provide alternatives to the limited available cultivars in South Africa.
The ARC is committed to supporting the sustainability of the agricultural sector through the development of improved, superior cultivars for growers to support a thriving economy. The Cultivar Day at the Addo Research Station highlights efforts towards achieving this outcome.
For more information:
Dr Elli Hajari
ARC-Tropical and Subtropical Crops Division
Tel: +27 013 753 7029
Email: HajariE@arc.agric.za
www.arc.agric.za