Agrícola Bagu, Castellón's centennial export company specializing in clementines and mandarins, will launch a new early variety in September. It is a spontaneous mutation of Oronules identified in one of its fields in Burriana (Castellón). It has been commercially named XLO, reflecting its large size and the initial of the mutation it came from.
The new clementine was registered at the Spanish Plant Variety Office in June 2024 and at the EU's Community Plant Variety Office in September 2024. XLO begins reaching its peak ripeness in mid-September and can be harvested until the end of October, making it one of the earliest clementines on the market.
© Bagu
XLO does not have multi-bud galls, which ensures no competition between fruits and, therefore, a better size.
"In addition, and unlike the rest of the Oronules mutations known so far, this clementine grows in particularly vigorous trees with no thorns on their branches, simplifying the harvest," stated Javier Traver, who discovered this clementine in a field in Burriana. "More importantly, it is not multi-budded, which allows obtaining an exceptional caliber without the need to complicate its handling or incur higher production costs."
Agrícola Bagu has already reached an agreement with the Agrupación de Viveristas de Agrios SA (AVASA) to sell XLO in its nine associated nurseries as of September. The plant material available is still scarce because the buds were only delivered to be multiplied last June, after years of observing the behavior of the variety in Burriana and after the Valencian Institute of Agricultural Research (IVIA) had completed the technical descriptive work necessary to protect it. However, licences have already begun to be granted.
"XLO is the only mutation of Oronules discovered in recent years that not only allows starting the season earlier with quality fruit but develops on a vigorous tree and doesn't have multi-budded galls," Bagú stressed.
"The tree's vigorousness allows a greater fruit load and provides more flexibility when planting, grafting, or re-grafting it on patterns that do not necessarily have such strong vegetative growth. Not having multi-budded galls, that is, having a more dispersed flowering with less load per sprout, is a particularly desired trait because it decreases competition between fruits, ensuring larger fruit size. In other words, unlike the earliest clementines known to date, the XLO variety has an excellent size (between 58 and 70 mm), much larger than the Oronules (between 58 and 63 mm) and the rest of its mutations. In addition, it achieves this without the need to carry out or assume the cost of one or two thinning operations before harvesting. This last trait also allows the fruit to develop more uniformly. According to tests already carried out, up to 86% of the XLO crop had the desired commercial size and were over 57 mm in diameter," Javier Traver stated.
© Bagu
XLO is one of the earliest clementines, and its harvest starts two weeks ahead of Oronules.
"The new Clementine also has all the virtues of Oronules: Its high juice content (more than 50%), its attractive reddish orange colour, smooth texture, self-incompatibility (its own pollen does not pollinate it), and parthenocarpic (it produces seedless fruit naturally).In addition, it has an exceptional balance between sweetness and acidity," he stated.
The tests carried out by Agrícola Bagu itself confirm that, despite its earliness, it degreens perfectly. For this season, the company has agreed with the IVIA to carry out new studies to check if it withstands long-distance shipments and the cold treatment necessary to export it to markets such as the United States.
"XLO is a clementine that meets the conditions to be profitable for the farmer because it is productive, easy to handle, saves costs, and has affordable royalties. It's also profitable for exporters because it is a sweet, seedless, easy-peeler, just like consumers demand. Finally, it's profitable for distribution because it offers quality, good caliber, and uniform fruit," Javier Traver stated. "XLO's uniformity, larger size, and exceptional Oronules' flavor will allow Valencians to compete in quality and condition with the late mandarins that arrive from the Southern hemisphere in September and October. The difference is that the marketing and added value will remain here."
© BaguFor more information:
Bagu
Plaza el Pla 3,
12530 Burriana, Castellón. Spain
Tel:+34 964 51 25 00
Email: [email protected]
www.baguclementinas.es
