Citrus

Our citrus breeding programme was established in the 1970s in Te Puke and was transferred to Kerikeri in the 1980s. The objectives of the programme are to produce easy-peel, seedless mandarins and scab-resistant lemons adapted to the New Zealand environment. We are using a range of conventional breeding methods to develop breeding lines and cultivars.

We have recently released four cultivars for the home garden labelled the 'Bay' series ('Bay Zest', 'Bay Sunset', 'Bay Sweetie' and 'Bay Gold'). The Bay series is named after the major citrus growing regions of New Zealand (Bay of Islands, Bay of Plenty and Poverty Bay) and the cultivars are sure to be an attractive and flavoursome addition to the home garden.

Our National Citrus Germplasm Collection contains a diverse collection of citrus and related species, which serves as a valuable source of parents for the breeding programme as well as a resource for propagators and nurserymen. (See also Genetic Resources).

Our breeding programme is funded by the NZ Foundation for Research, Science and Technology and New Zealand Citrus Growers Incorporated.