Physicochemical quality of early-maturing ‘Navel’ sweet oranges

Abstract

The cultivation of new types of oranges can be a good alternative for citrus growers because there is a growing domestic market and good export prospects. Due to these expectations, it is essential to search for new cultivars for use in the fresh fruit industry. Therefore, the aim of this work was to physicochemically characterize the fruits of new cultivars of ‘Navel’ oranges, seeking alternatives with good characteristics, such as earliness, lack of seeds, good color and organoleptic characteristics desired by the consumer market. The fruits of five new cultivars of ‘Navel’ orange were evaluated, namely, ‘Bahia Valente’ (CN 28), ‘Golden Nugget Navel’ (CN 41), ‘‘Robertson Navel’’ (CN 39), ‘Washington Navel’ (CV 27) and ‘Washington Navel I’ (CN 34), during two harvest seasons (2012/2013 and 2013/2014). The following physicochemical variables were quantified: mass, peel color, juice yield, acidity, soluble solids and ratio. The cultivars studied were compared to the commercial cultivar ‘Bahia Cabula’ (CV 25). The new cultivars produced fruit with standards that met consumer expectations, with fruit mass suitable for sale of the fresh fruit, good yield juice and early maturation (March), which enables harvesting ‘Bahia Cabula’ in the off-season period. Thus, it is concluded that there are navel orange cultivars with acceptable physicochemical qualities and early maturation.