Yield and fruit quality of two late-maturing Valencia orange tree varieties as affected by harvest date.Abstract --Introduction. Since citrus fruits are non-climacteric, commercial harvest for a given variety can occur over a prolonged period in the same orchard. Delayed citrus harvest has previously been reported to influence fruit quality variables during the current season and to reduce the subsequent year's yield. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of harvest date on tree yield and fruit quality of two late-maturing Valencia orange varieties during two successive years. Materials and methods. One hundred 9-year-old Campbell and Lue Gim Gong Valencia orange trees budded on Swingle citrumelo rootstock were used. Fruit sampling included fruit harvest at five monthly intervals (April-August) during 2003, and only one harvest date (20 June) during 2004. Results and discussion. Based on seasonal variation of various fruit quality variables during the five harvests conducted in 2003, the most stable fruit quality variables were fruit weight, number of seeds per fruit, rind thickness, juice content and soluble solids content. In general, both varieties produced fruit with similar internal quality characteristics. However, their mean fruit weight differed in 2004 (Lue Gim Gong had larger fruit than Campbell). Furthermore, the annual and cumulative yields of Lue Gim Gong Valencia orange trees over two years were significantly higher than those of Campbell orange trees. Finally, the yield per tree and fruit quality of both (6) I.E. Papadakis et al.
IntroductionSince citrus fruits are non-climacteric, commercial harvest can occur over a prolonged period for a given variety in the same orchard. Delayed citrus harvest has previously been reported to influence fruit quality variables during the current season and reduce the subsequent year's yield [1,2].Osbeck] is considered as one of the best and most popular late-maturing citrus varieties, prized for its high productivity and good juice quality. For these reasons, Valencia orange is the most widely cultivated citrus variety in the world. The most well-known clonal selections of Valencia orange are 'Cutter', 'Delta', 'Frost', 'Lue Gim Gong', 'Olinda', and the vigorous clone 'Campbell' [3]. In Greece, Valencia oranges grow successfully due to favorable climatic conditions. Furthermore, Swingle citrumelo [C. paradisi Macf. × Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.] is the most adapted rootstock to the soil and climatic conditions of Crete, the southernmost Greek island. This rootstock has excellent resistance to tristeza, Phytophthora and citrus nematodes. Finally, fruit quality of orange scions budded on Swingle citrumelo is also excellent [4,5].In our study, Campbell and Lue Gim Gong orange scions budded on Swingle citrumelo were studied for two successive years under Greek environmental conditions to investigate: (i) whether tree yield and fruit quality variables of these varieties during the first year of the study (2003) were affected by the date of harvest over...