The Valencia Institute of Agricultural Research (IVIA) has launched a new citrus improvement programme with the aim of obtaining new clementine varieties to expand the region’s export offer.
Clemenules, Fina and Oronules, among the most popular varieties, will form the basis of the study, which will initially see 50,000 new lines developed via irradiation technology. These will then be analysed and a selection made of the most promising strains in terms of organoleptic quality, productivity, production season and resistance to disease.
IVIA said one of the key aims of the programme was to develop early and late season varieties that would enable growers to extend their marketing window.
Easy peelers lead the citrus category in terms of demand and their cultivation is ideally suited to growing conditions in Spain.
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