The Kara Mandarin tangerine-type, late spring fruit of excellent eating quality is promising James W. Cameron and Robert K. Soost The Kara mandarin is a tangerine-type erably larger than the Dancy and Clemen- citrus fruit, which was first described in tine tangerines when grown in the same 1935. Its parents were the Satsuma man- location. The Kara is moderately seedy, darin and the King-probably a tangor. but scarcely more so than the Dancy and Because of its high quality, additional Clementine. Early in its season it is rather the Kara mandarin, as grown at Riverside. studies were made in 1952 on the be- high in acid but it is also high in solids About natural size. havior of the Kara. which are usually maintained over a rela- The fruit of the Kara is rich and of tively long period-three to four months pleasant flavor with an attractive, deep- at Riverside. Kara throughout the season. The lowest orange pulp color. At Riverside it is usu- Between 1930 and 1932,12 Kara trees, value, l33%, was from a tree on Rough ally edible from about March 1 to late one or more on each of several rootstocks, lemon stock. The acid percentage was still June, its season extending somewhat be- were planted at the Citrus Experiment high-about 2%-in the assays made on yond that of the Washington Navel. It Station. At about the same time a few February 13, but it was generally satis- peels well, is usable by segments, and until trees were set in co-operative planting factory at the later dates. The high value after its midseason is satisfactory for in the Coachella Valley near Indio and of 1.71% shown for the March 31 sam- juicing. In April or May it begins to be- a few were planted in Tulare County near pling occurred from only one tree. This come puffy but is excellent for eating out Porterville and in Kern County near fruit sample also had 16.3% soluble of hand. The fruit is not inclined to gran- Delano. Data taken from time to time solids so that the so1ids:acid ratio was ulate and at Riverside adheres well to have indicated promise for the Kara at still 9.5:l. the tree. The rind color is a deep orange- Riverside and to some extent at Indio. At the Indio location the assays made yellow. The rind is more brittle than that The behavior of the variety in other areas on February 28 showed high juice con- of oranges and the fruit requires care in is still uncertain. tent, high solids, and an acid percentage handling and shipping. Juice analyses made in 1952 of fruit which gave about a 1O:l ratio. In some In recent small-scalemarketing tests at from trees of the 1930-1932 plantinge years the acid is considerably lower in Los Angeles and New York, Kara fruit together with one assay from two 7-year- the Coachella Valley by this date, but the was sold at 104 to 256 per pound, whole- old trees near Piru, in Ventura County- Kara is definitely a late season fruit in sale. Only a small quantity of the fruit are summarized in the table on this page. that area and is not ready for use at which brought these prices was available For the analyses from the Riverside plant- Christmas. Its season there is rather short at the auctions; the market might not ing one tree on each of seven rootstocks and can be affected by a browning of the support such prices on large shipments. was included during the main season. stem end, which causes drop. When However, there is growing interest in Some variability was found in the juice grown in full sun the tree is more vigor- dessert types of citrus fruit for the late percentages of fruit from the Riverside ous and the fruit sweetens earlier than spring months, and the Kara-in the trees on any one date. This variability in the shade of date groves. Riverside area-is at its best when such was at least partly because of rootstock. At Delano, Porterville, and Piru the types are no longer in season in the com- As expected, there was a decrease in juice assays showed high solids, moderate to petitive regions. percentage at the end of the season, in low juice content, and rather high acid The Kara fruit is smaller than the June and July. The analyses show char- on the dates of sampling. Tree vigor was Washington Navel orange but is consid- acteristically high soluble solids for the good in all three locations. Yield and fruit size of the Kara were very good at Riverside in 1952. Yields Fruit Characters of the Kara Mandarin, 1952 Season of 12 trees ranged from 110 pounds to Range OP 341 pounds, with an average of 235 Location Date No. of trees1 % % % pounds. The low yield of 110 pounds was iuice solids acid from a tree in its off-bearing year, and Riverside Feb. 13 2 44.544.7 16.0-1 7.0 2.0 1-2.02 with a rather small top volume. Fruit Mar. 31 7 39.545.1 14.2-1 6.5 1.28-1.71 size, based on counts of several hundred Apr. 30 7 38.047.3 14.0-1 6.1 1.09-1 -29 fruits from each of seven trees, averaged June 3 7 36.642.6 13.3-1 5.3 0.95-1.14 0.24 pound per fruit with a considerable July 8 2 34.4-39.8 13.8-1 5.0 0.91-0.92 range of smaller and larger sizes. The lndio Feb. 28 2 46.748.3 15.8-1 5.9 1.50-1.60 average size at Riverside over a period of several years is not as large-O.19 Delano Mar. 5 1 37.7 14.2 1.74 pound per fruit. Porterville Mar. 5 1 38.8 17.0 2.16 At Indio the fruit size is much larger. Piru Apr. 19 2 44.3 16.2 1.65 The average of nine samples obtained be- (mixed) tween 194.6 and 1952 from trees with medium or heavy crops was 0.37 pound trees were from 18 to 27 years of age except at Piru, 7 years. Rootstocks varied; some are dis- cussed in text. per fruit. The Kara is more nearly annual * One sample from each tree was assayed on each date. Usual sample sir0 was 20 fruits. Concluded on page 14 4 CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE, JULY, 1953 AVOCADO The observations obtained during these In the group dormant 20 months, only studies, to the effect that Guatemalan two plants-out of 18-failed to grow. Continued from page 3 stocks are far more susceptible to what- New shoot growth was rapid. The aver- heim, Dickinson, Itzamna, Nabal, Hass, ever soil condition causes chlorosis, are age length of eight shoots of the group Challenge, and Taft-and 45 on six Mexi- limited in scope. Perhaps, as the root sys- dormant 20 months measured 1/2” on the can varieties-Ganter, Topa Topa, Duke, tems expand, trees now considered recov- fourth day, l%’ron the fifth, 1%’’ on Northrop, Mexicola, and Blake. Two trees ered may again become chlorotic or the sixth, and 2,/rr on the seventh day are on Waldin, a West Indian variety hitherto normal trees on both types of after watering was resumed. Seven days from Florida. As in the first plot, all stocks may show the disease. after the first watering, vigorous plants Guatemalan seeds were of mixed origin, Whether the occurrence of chlorotic averaged 27 green shoots per plant. but seeds of the Mexican, except Ganter, and normal trees in some cases only about The greenhouse studies demonstrate came from single trees. The trees were 20’ apart and on the same rootstock va- that the initiation of summer dormancy propagated in the Subtropical Horticul- riety, is due to soil variation or genetic in pine bluegrass is associated with long ture Nursery at the University of Califor- differences in the rootstock seedlings is day-length and high temperatures. nia, Los Angeles. This nursery also fur- an open question. All that can be said Growth resumption, after extended nished trees for three additional plots. at present is that none of the 10 Guate- periods of dormancy, was obtained when In June, 1950, one year after planting, malan rootstock varieties used in the two the plants were subjected to relative cool- 7870-43 trees-of the trees on Guate- severely affected rootstock plots is im- ness and were watered. These conditions malan stocks showed chlorosis in varying mune. The number of trees on these stocks parallel those which normally prevail in degrees. Only one tree on Mexican stock varied from three to 18. This, and the the field when the plant enters and breaks was affected, but it soon recovered. The fact that in one plot 14 trees on a certain dormancy. two trees on West Indian stock remained variety showed 43% chlorosis and in the Horton M. Laude is Associate Professor of normal. As of September, 1951, a little other, eight trees on the same variety Agronomy, University of California, Davis. over a year after the disease appeared, showed loo%, stress the necessity for The above progress report is based on Re- 56%-24 trees-of the chlorotic trees more extensive information for valid search Project No. 1194A. were recovered or nearly so and 44%- comparison.