'SWEET SICILY' AND 'EARLY SICILY', TWO NEW TRIPLOIDS FROM THE PROGRAM OF CRA-RESEARCH CENTRE OF CITRICULTURE AND MEDITERRANEAN CROPS

Since 1978 the development of triploid hybrids by crossing monoembryonic 2x female parents with 4x male parents has been the successful breeding strategy carried out by the CRA-ACM. Through this strategy hybrids issued in the past allowed the obtainment of seedless fruits, in some cases pigmented, of good size and maturation in different periods. In 2011 other two promising hybrids, ‘Sweet Sicily’ and ‘Early Sicily’, due to their positive characteristics, were released. The former was obtained by the cross of ‘Comune’ clementine × ‘Tarocco’ orange 4x, the latter by the cross of ‘Oroval’ clementine × ‘Tarocco’ orange 4x. The fruits of these hybrids, very early in ripening time (mid-November) and able to expand harvesting period of blood triploid group, showed a fresh market suitable fruit size, excellent organoleptic properties and a typical taste intermediate between the clementine and ‘Tarocco’ orange.