Performance of Exotic Sweet Orange Germplasm for Varietal Improvement in Bangladesh
J.C. Sarker
*
Citrus Research Station, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Jaintapur, Sylhet, Bangladesh.
F. Ahmed
Citrus Research Station, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Jaintapur, Sylhet, Bangladesh.
S.M.L. Rahman
Farm Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Jaintapur, Sylhet, Bangladesh.
M.H.M.B. Bhuyan
Citrus Research Station, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Jaintapur, Sylhet, Bangladesh.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
A study was conducted using four exotic sweet orange germplasms (CS Jai-003, CS Jai-012, CS Jai-051 and CS Jai-209) along with BARI Malta-1 as check variety. These were evaluated over three consecutive seasons (2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24) at the Citrus Research Station, BARI, Jaintapur, Sylhet. There was no significant difference among the germplasm in terms of tree height, base girth and tree volume across the three fruiting seasons. A significant variation in fruit count per tree was observed. In 2021–22, CS Jai-209 (74.13), CS Jai-012 (73.15), and BARI Malta-1 (72.46) had the highest fruit counts, while CS Jai-003 (76.68) led in 2022–23, and BARI Malta-1 recorded the highest in 2023–24 (80.05). CS Jai-051 consistently had the lowest fruit count across all three years. The maximum fruit weight was recorded in CS Jai-051 (259.65g, 292.10g and 284.51g) for the respective years while the minimum was observed in CS Jai-209 (146.70g, 136.17g, and 142.91g). Regarding yield per plant, CS Jai-003 produced the highest yields (15.94 kg, 17.38 kg, and 16.07 kg, respectively). In contrast, CS Jai-209 had the lowest yields (10.86 kg, 8.92 kg, and 9.82 kg) over the same period. CS Jai-051 exhibited the highest juice content (39.63%, 38.51%, and 38.38%) while CS Jai-209 consistently showed the lowest values (27.90%, 30.01%, and 32.08%) across the three years. Total Soluble Solids were the highest in CS Jai-003 (11.13%, 11.30%, and 11.06%) while the lowest TSS was found in CS Jai-209 (11.13%, 11.30%, and 11.06%). Titratable acidity (TA) varied between 0.34% to 0.88% with CS Jai-209 showing significantly higher acidity and CS Jai-051 the lowest. Therefore, based on fruit quality, CS Jai-003 and CS Jai-051 are suitable for fresh fruit consumption. Additionally, due to its larger fruit size, CS Jai-051 holds potential as a breeding parent for developing high-yielding sweet orange varieties. Both CS Jai-003 and CS Jai-051 have the potential to be released as high-yielding varieties.
Keywords: Exotic, sweet orange, rootstock, growth, yield