Guwahati: If you’re looking for sweet oranges in Assam, you’re in for a treat! The ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute (CCRI), Nagpur, has introduced six delightful varieties to the region, ensuring a flavorful experience for all orange lovers.
The six new varieties are Valencia, Westin, TM-33, Cutter Valencia, Pera, and Natal.
Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), which possibly originated from Northeastern India and Central China, is the most widely cultivated citrus species globally.
Traditionally, Khasi Mandarin and Assam Lemon have dominated the region’s commercial citrus cultivation, monopolizing both area and production. However, their cultivation remains limited, accounting for only 5.41% and 3.49% of the country’s total citrus area and production, respectively.
Despite these limitations, there has been a steady increase in demand for citrus fruits in the region, much of which is currently met by supplies from other parts of the country.
Research efforts at ICAR-CCRI, Nagpur, over the years have identified several important varieties of sweet oranges. These varieties were also maintained and evaluated at the Regional Research Centre for Citrus (RRCC) in Biswanath Chariali to observe their performance under the prevailing agro-climatic conditions of the region.
The ICAR-CCRI had established the Regional Research Centre for Citrus at Biswanath Chariali a few years ago.
“Sweet orange, while non-traditional in the Northeast, particularly in Assam, presents significant potential. Despite the region cultivating a wide array of horticultural crops, only a few are grown on a commercial scale. The sweet orange varieties evaluated at Biswanath Chariali, located in the North Bank plain zone of Assam, have shown considerable promise,” an official said.
These varieties exhibit different maturity periods, ranging from early-maturing varieties like TM-33 and Westin (October) to late-maturing types like Cutter Valencia and Natal (January-February). This variation offers the opportunity to extend the fruit’s availability over a longer period.
Cutter Valencia and Valencia, being less seeded varieties, are highly suitable for processing, while others can cater to the fresh fruit market. “The integration of these sweet orange varieties into Northeast India’s citriculture not only strengthens the regional citrus industry but also adds valuable crop diversity, contributing to both economic and agricultural growth in the region,” an official from ICAR-CCRI said.
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