Sweet orange tree named ‘SF14W-62’

A new ‘Valencia’-derived sweet orange tree particularly distinguished by producing trees that bear fruit that ripens 4 to 8 weeks earlier than standard ‘Valencia’ trees, trees that have an upright and moderately vigorous growth habit, trees that have a tendency for terminal fruit bearing and fruit having excellent juice quality, is disclosed.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The invention relates to a new and distinct variety of sweet orange tree,Citrus sinensisL. Osbeck, named ‘SF14W-62’. SF14W-62 is a moderately vigorous tree that produces standard ‘Valencia’ type sweet orange fruit but with a significantly earlier fruit maturation date (4 to 8 weeks) than standard ‘Valencia’ trees. In Florida, fruit can generally be harvested from mid-January through February, depending on environmental conditions. Juice quality from fruit of ‘SF14W-62’ is equivalent to that of ‘Valencia’, the highest quality juice from oranges currently available. ‘SF14W-62’ provides the processing industry with earlier blending opportunities with ‘Hamlin’ or ‘Midsweet’ sweet oranges to improve the flavor and color of NFC (Not From Concentrate) orange juice. In the event of January or February freeze-mandated harvests in Florida, this blending opportunity would allow for grade A juice recovery and would significantly lessen economic losses as would normally be encountered with standard ‘Valencia’ oranges that have not reached full maturity at this time.

‘SF14W-62’ originated as a somaclonal tree regenerated from protoplasts isolated from an embryogenic suspension of tissue culture of standard ‘Valencia’ (Citrus sinensisL. Osbeck) in 1989. For the methodology, see Grosser, J.W. and F.G.J. Gmitter (1990). Protoplast fusion and citrus improvement. pp. 339-374. In: Janick, J. (Ed.).Plant Breeding Reviews. Timber Press, Inc, Portland, Oreg., USA. The original ‘SF14W-62’ tree was grafted to ‘Carrizo’ (unpatented) citrange rootstock and planted at a collaborative research block in Venus, Fla. in 1991. ‘SF14W-62’ is a true ‘Valencia’ sweet orange with an altered maturity date that allows for harvest 4 to 8 weeks earlier than traditional ‘Valencia’ clones. ‘SF14W-62’ has been subsequently asexually reproduced by inverted “T” bud-grafting onto widely-used commercial citrus rootstocks ‘Carrizo’ citrange and ‘Swingle’ citrumelo. The present invention has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations via an inverted “T” graft.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar have not been applied for. ‘SF14W-62’ has not been made publicly available or sold more than one year prior to the filing of this application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘SF14W-62’ is a new and distinct variety of sweet orange tree which bears fruit that ripens from mid-January through February in central Florida. The trees usually bloom between early to late March in central Florida, depending on seasonal weather. ‘SF14W-62’ trees are upright and of moderate vigor, with a tendency for alternate bearing. Second and third generation trees are more thorny than traditional ‘Valencia’ selections, especially on internal scaffold branches; however, thorniness diminishes over time and is less obvious with each generation of propagation. Thorns can be long, but are quite variable. Trees tend to bear more terminal fruit, which can cause long scaffold branches to bend over from the weight of the fruit, but also minimizes the impact of the thorns on harvesting.

‘SF14W-62’ trees bear fruit that is typical of ‘Valencia’ trees but ‘SF14W-62’ fruit ripens 4 to 8 weeks earlier than standard ‘Valencia’ clones based on the brix/acid ratio (see Table 1). Juice quality of ‘SF14W-62’ is typical of ‘Valencia’ in sugar and acid content, color and flavor. The fruit of ‘SF14W-62’ are juicy and difficult to peel. The fruit of ‘SF14W-62’ is slightly less seedy than standard ‘Valencia’ but not seedless. Replicated trials (both 2ndgeneration and top-worked 3rdgeneration trees) to determine yield were destroyed by the Florida state-run canker eradication program. The original tree in Venus, Fla. yielded more than 10 boxes (approximately 90 pounds fruit per box) of fruit in the last year before being destroyed. The cultivar of the present invention appears to be at least as productive in fruit-bearing as standard ‘Valencia’ trees.

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of this new cultivar when grown under normal horticultural practices in Florida.1. Trees that bear fruit that ripens 4 to 8 weeks earlier than standard ‘Valencia’ trees;2. Trees that have an upright and moderately vigorous growth habit.3. Trees that have a tendency for terminal fruit bearing; and3. Fruit having excellent juice quality.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed description defines the characteristics of ‘SF14W-62’. The present botanical description was taken from 4 to 5 year-old trees grown on ‘Carrizo’ rootstock in Lake Alfred, Fla. in 2007 and 2008. The colors (except those in common terms) are described from The R.H.S. Colour Chart published by The Royal Horticultural Society in London, in association with the Flower Council of Holland (2001).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL AND KNOWN CULTIVARS

‘SF14W-62’ differs from the commercial comparison variety ‘Alvarina’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,575) in that ‘SF14W-62’ has darker orange fruit flesh (RHS N25C) than ‘Alvarina’ (RHS 28C).

Table 1 shows comparative data of juice characteristics from ‘SF14W-62’ as compared to the parental variety ‘Valencia’ (unpatented) and Florida industry mid-season cultivars, ‘Midsweet’ (unpatented) and ‘Vernia’ (unpatented).

TABLE 1Juice Data from ‘SF14W-62’lbDateCultivarBrixAcidRatiosolidsColorFirst Generation Tree (Original, location: Venus, Florida,Southern Farms Ltd., ‘Carrizo’ rootstock)Jan. 28, 2000‘SF14W-62’11.00.7514.74.8538.0‘Valencia’10.10.9410.85.8737.6Feb. 6, 2001‘SF14W-62’12.80.8115.87.0438.0‘Valencia’11.71.0010.35.8837.5Jan. 15, 2002‘SF14W-62’11.80.8613.8n.d.37.6‘Midsweet’12.00.9013.4n.d.36.4Feb. 6, 2003‘SF14W-62’10.70.6416.75.3837.6‘Valencia’11.70.9712.06.1537.9Jan. 16, 2004‘SF14W-62’11.80.7715.3n.d.38.7‘Valencia’11.11.109.7n.d.38.0Second Generation Trees - Alligator Grove, east ofSt. Cloud, Florida) (Control trees - mature budwood)Jan. 26, 2006‘SF14W-62’10.60.8412.6n.d.39.1‘Vernia’13.41.0013.6n.d.38.5‘Midsweet’13.21.1311.9n.d.37.7Jan. 23, 2007‘SF14W-62’10.90.7614.3n.d.39.2‘Verna’11.30.6717.1n.d.39.5Apr. 11, 2007‘SF14W-62’12.60.5722.06.1939.0‘Valencia’14.10.8317.07.7639.8Jan. 17, 2008‘SF14W-62’11.10.7614.65.9038.2‘Vernia’12.40.9712.86.4038.5Feb. 25, 2008‘SF14W-62’10.80.7015.6n.d.40.9‘Verna’11.00.6417.4n.d.40.3‘Valencia’11.71.48.6n.d.38.5Jan. 14, 2009‘SF14W-62’10.90.8113.65.6838.2‘Valencia’11.11.149.75.8837.5Juice quality data was obtained from the UF/CREC State Test HouseBrix: Is the percent of sucrose determined by a hydrometerAcid: Is the percent of citric acid determined by standard titrationRatio: Is the ration of Brix/AcidLb solids: Is calculated as pounds of soluble sugars per 90 pound box of fruit.Color: FDA legal juice color was measured using a Gretag Macbeth color-Eye 3100 spectrophotometer using ProPalette computer software, version 5.2.1 Quality Control 2001.n.d = not determinedResistance to insects, disease or pests: Typical of ‘Valencia’ sweet orange trees.