‘UF 11-1-24’

U.S. Patent PP27,777
Sweet Orange Cultivar

Description: ‘UF 11-1-24’ is a low-seeded, midseason sweet orange, with higher soluble solids content/box, ratio, and juice color than the current industry standard cultivar, ‘Midsweet’. ‘UF 11-1-24’ produces fruit which typically contain between 0-3 seeds/fruit. ‘Midsweet’ is most commonly grown for mid-season juice processing, though some of it has also been marketed fresh. The low seed numbers make ‘UF 11-1-24’ more desirable as a fresh fruit option, while retaining the qualities that formerly made ‘Midsweet’ the third most widely planted sweet orange in Florida. ‘UF 11-1-24’ was selected from among the various seedless selections trialed because of its consistently higher Brix and pounds soluble pounds solids content/box. In addition, it also reaches higher soluble solids/acidity ratios (averaging 19.4 vs. 17.1, the second best Midsweet-type selection evaluated) than any of the other ‘Midsweet’ clones, enabling a slightly earlier harvest that may avoid freezing events common in late-December and early January. Finally, its average juice color score across the five years of testing was 35.3, a full point higher than any of the other selections in the trial. Therefore, on the basis of its similarity to ‘Midsweet’ in appearance, fruit bearing habit, and yields, but consistently exhibiting the various improved characteristics (low seed numbers, greater production of soluble solids/box and Brix, earlier maturity, and improved juice color), ‘UF 11-1-24’ is proposed for commercialization.