U.S. Patent PP21,535
Sweet Orange Cultivar
- Fruit Size:
- Target Market: Processing Industry
- Brix Rating: 11.6
Description: Valquarius® ‘SF14W‐62’ (U.S. Patent PP21,535) is a sweet orange cultivar developed by scientists at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’, Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, Florida and has been released under the University of Florida’s Citrus Fast Track Release Option. Valquarius® ‘SF14W‐62’ is a variety targeted for the processing industry, as it has a significantly earlier fruit maturation date than standard ‘Valencia’, which will provide the processing industry with earlier blending opportunities with ‘Hamlin’ or ‘Midsweet’ to improve the flavor and color of not‐from‐concentrate juice. With a fruit maturation date roughly 4‐8 weeks earlier than that of standard ‘Valencia’, Valquarius® ‘SF14W‐62’ also allows for grade A juice recovery and no economic loss in the event of a mid‐January or later freeze‐mandated harvest. Trees of Valquarius® ‘SF14W‐62’ are upright and vigorous. The original, first‐generation tree yielded more than ten boxes of fruit as a ten year old tree. There is ample evidence that ‘SF14W‐62’ generally yields more fruit than standard ‘Valencia’. Valquarius® ‘SF14W‐62’ has a maturity date very comparable to that of ‘Midsweet’, the currently preferred midseason processing cultivar in Florida. Valquarius® ‘SF14W‐62’ has significantly better juice color than ‘Midsweet’, and has been favored over ‘Midsweet’ in preliminary sensory testing. 2014 yield data showed that ‘SF14W‐62’ yielded significantly better than ‘Vernia’ across multiple rootstocks. Valquarius® ‘SF14W‐62’, therefore, has excellent potential as a midseason variety, which could be especially useful for blending with low‐colored ‘Hamlin’ juice.
License Availability: FFSP has non-exclusively licensed the following entities for the propagation of the Valquarius® ‘SF14W‐62’ citrus cultivar:
Brite Leaf Citrus Nursery, LLC
480 CR 416 S
Lake Panasoffkee, FL 33538
(352) 793-6861
https://www.briteleaf.com/
Citrific Holdings, Inc.
2400 Rosalie Lake Rd
Lake Wales, FL 33898
(863) 589-7456
http://citrific.com/
Phillip Rucks Citrus Nursery, Inc
1697 Rucks Dairy Rd.
Frostproof, FL 33843
(863) 635-1948
http://www.ruckscitrusnursery.com/
Reclamation Trees
2713 Hwy 98 E
Fort Meade, FL 33841
(863) 698-3606
Southridge Citrus Nursery, Inc.
260 Karlson Rd.
Venus, FL 33960
(863) 465-5803
W.E. Green & Sons, Inc.
P.O. Box 1802
Dundee, FL 33838
(863) 439-4244