Hunt for new varieties

This story in the Palm Beach Post refers to hunger for new citrus varieties in Florida.

While no mention was made of the controversy over who gets first access to new citrus varieties, the article referred to interest in hybrid varieties that both provide canker resistance and great consumer appeal.

A perfect new variety would be one that's disease-resistant and consumer-friendly: seedless, tasty, easy-to-peel and not so juicy that it drips all over the place.


More than a dozen new varieties could be released in the next few years, researchers at the University of Florida and the USDA say. Some possibilities in the next couple of year: a seedless valencia orange and a seedless fallglo tangerine. The last new variety in Florida was released in 1989.