UC Riverside researchers Mikeal Roose and Tracy Kahn are evaluating seed content in Valencia oranges as part of a mutation breeding project to find new cultivars with lower seed content. Budwood of the existing Olinda Valencia cultivar was irradiated to induce mutations and trees were then propagated from the treated buds. The resulting trees are grown at Lindcove Research and Extension Center and then fruit from each tree are cut to determine seed content. Trees that produce many fruit with few or no seeds will be selected and a pathogen-free budsource will be established by the Citrus Clonal Protection Program. This budsource will then be used to propagate trees for replicated trials at Lindcove and elsewhere in California.
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