Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Citrus and Other Subtropical Products Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #300199
Title: Volatile Profile Comparison of USDA Sweet-Orange-Like Hybrids and Standard Sweet Oranges

Author
item Bai, Jinhe
item Baldwin, Elizabeth - Liz
item Stover, Eddie
item Driggers, Randall
item HEARN, JACK - Retired ARS Employee

Submitted to: Proceedings of Florida State Horticultural Society
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/30/2013
Publication Date: 4/11/2014
Citation: Bai, J., Baldwin, E.A., Stover, E.W., Driggers, R.E., Hearn, J. 2014. Volatile Profile Comparison of USDA Sweet-Orange-Like Hybrids and Standard Sweet Oranges . Proceedings of Florida State Horticultural Society. 126:216.

Interpretive Summary: Observations showed that all the new hybrids are early maturing and are sweet-orange-like in fruit size, color, and informal sensory panel flavor analysis. The objective of this research was to compare the volatile profiles of the six hybrids with the common parent, ‘Ambersweet’, and the representative early-maturing sweet orange, ‘Hamlin’, to determine whether the profiles would support classification of the hybrids as sweet orange. The volatile analysis supports the classification of the hybrids as sweet orange.

Technical Abstract: Volatiles of six hybrids (‘Ambersweet’ orange crossed with one of three different orange hybrids) were analyzed using gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to compare the volatile profiles with ‘Hamlin’, the most widely grown early sweet orange in Florida, and ‘Ambersweet’. All hybrids are at least ½ sweet orange and varying amounts of additional tangerine, grapefruit, Poncirus trifoliata, and sour orange in its pedigree. In total, 135 volatiles were detected from the 8 hybrid lines/commercial cultivars over two harvests, and 20 components were detected in all samples. All the new lines are sweet-orange-like, early season hybrids in fruit size, color, and informal sensory panel flavor analysis. This volatile analysis supports the classification of the hybrids as sweet orange.