Here's my latest research.
Tango will be available for the June 2007 UCR Budwood cut.
Rafa: Since Tango is so new I believe you will have a hard time getting a budwood of that tree but Joe Real has got one recently because of his affiliation with Davis University and successfully graftied them to his other citrus plants. But it is going to take time to cut a budwood from his grafts.
For those of you who are wondering what is a tango mandarin:
As per Joe Real input:
Title: Mandarin variety named 'Tango'
Document Type and Number:bUnited States Patent 20070056064
Kind Code: P1
Link to this page:
Mandarin variety named 'Tango' - Patent Application 20070056064
Abstract:
A new mandarin variety called `Tango` is distinguished by production of fruit that combines mid to late season maturity, moderately large fruit size, very smooth rind texture with a deep orange color, and a rich, sweet flavor. It further distinguishes itself by being very low seeded and easy to peel.
Representative Image: Mandarin variety named 'Tango'
Inventors: Roose, Mikeal L. (Riverside, CA, US)
Williams, Timothy E. (Riverside, CA, US)
Application Number: 220875
Filing Date: 09/06/2005
Publication Date: 03/08/2007
View Patent Images:
Images are available in PDF form when logged in. To view PDFs, Login or Create Account (Free!)
Referenced by: View patents that cite this patent
Export Citation: Click for automatic bibliography generation
Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
Primary Class:PLT/202
International Classes: A01H 5/00 20060101 A01H005/00
Attorney, Agent or Firm: TOWNSEND AND TOWNSEND AND CREW, LLP TWO EMBARCADERO CENTER EIGHTH FLOOR SAN FRANCISCO CA 94111-3834 US
Claims:
1. A new and distinct variety of mandarin hybrid tree having the characteristics essentially as described and illustrated herein.
Description:
LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES
[0001] The mandarin cultivar of this invention is botanically identified as Citrus reticulata.
VARIETY DENOMINATION
[0002] The variety denomination is `Tango`.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] `Tango` is a mandarin selection developed at the University of California Riverside from an irradiated bud of the diploid mandarin cultivar `W. Murcott`, a mid-late season maturing variety. The pedigree of `W. Murcott` mandarin is unknown but is believed to be a seedling selection from a `Murcott` Tangor tree produced in an open-pollinated field. The cultivar `W. Murcott` from which `Tango` was derived may be identical to a mandarin cultivar known as `Afourer` and also as `Nadorcott`. The name `W. Murcott` was assigned to a mandarin cultivar which was imported into the United States as buds in 1985 from Morocco. `Afourer` and `Nadorcott` are known to have originated in Morocco. `Nadorcott` was patented in the United States in 1997 under U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,480 (filed in January 1997). `W. Murcott` was first commercially available in California in 1992-1993.
[0004] `Tango` originated as a single plant and was asexually reproduced by grafting of budwood onto rootstocks. `Tango` was selected and propagated as follows. Irradiation of `W. Murcott` budwood taken from registered trees in the Foundation Block at the University of California Lindcove Research and Extension Center (LREC), Lindcove, Calif. was accomplished in June, 1995 at Riverside using 50 Gray units of gamma irradiation from a Cobalt-60 irradiation source. Buds from this irradiation were propagated onto various rootstocks in the greenhouse at Riverside where they were grown to field-plantable-sized trees. These trees were planted in June 1996 at Riverside. Fruit production and evaluation began in 1998. One tree from this irradiated population (propagated on `C32` citrange rootstock) distinguished itself from the others in having fruit that had very low seed counts with excellent fruit quality and normal fruit production characteristics in comparison to the original `W. Murcott` cultivar. After two seasons of fruiting, this tree (now named `Tango`), was selected for further trials in 1999 and in January 2000 buds were taken and propagated onto `Carrizo` and C35 citrange rootstock. Budwood was also sent to the University of California Citrus Clonal Protection Program (CCPP) in April 2000 for evaluation of disease status and elimination of viruses and other pathogens as needed.
[0005] Twenty trees were planted at Riverside in June 2001. Fruit production on these 20 trees commenced in 2003. In October 2001 the Citrus Clonal Protection Program sent two trees of `Tango`, which had been produced from budwood which CCPP had tested and certified as tristeza-free, to the University of California Lindcove Research and Extension Center where they were planted in the citrus breeding block. Further propagations from the original selection tree in 2001 were made at Riverside and in June 2002 twenty trees were planted at the University of California South Coast Research and Extension Center (SCREC) in Irvine, Calif., and 15 trees were planted at Santa Paula, Calif.
[0006] Fruit production of these propagated trees (at LREC, SCREC and Santa Paula) commenced in 2003 (a few trees at each site) and 2004 (all trees at all sites). In July 2002 budwood was taken from the LREC trees and topworked onto a navel orange/`Carrizo` citrange tree at LREC. In September 2002 eighteen trees, produced from CCPP budwood were planted at Arvin Calif. In August 2003 thirty-six additional trees were propagated at LREC from budwood taken from the LREC trees and in April 2004, twelve were planted at the University of California Coachella Valley Agricultural Research Station in Thermal, Calif., and in June 2004, twenty-four trees (twelve at each site) were planted at two sites, LREC and Woodlake, Calif. All trials were propagated on `Carrizo` and `C35` citrange rootstocks.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention provides a novel mandarin variety having the characteristics described and illustrated herein. The variety, `Tango`, is a mandarin selection developed at the University of California Riverside from an irradiated bud of the diploid mandarin cultivar `W. Murcott`, a mid-late season maturing variety. `Tango` combines mid to late season maturity, moderately large fruit size, very smooth rind texture with a deep orange color, and a rich, sweet flavor. It further distinguishes itself by being very low seeded (<1 seed/fruit) and very easy to peel.
[0008] Mid to late season maturing mandarin cultivars in production include `W. Murcott` mandarin (the original cultivar from which `Tango` was derived), `Murcott` Tangor, `Fortune` mandarin, `Ortanique` mandarin, `Temple` Tangor, late-maturing Clementina selections including `Hernandina` and `Nour`, `Dancy` mandarin and `Minneola` tangelo. All of these cultivars will be seedy if grown in the presence of a pollenizer. Some, including the Clementina selections, `Fortune`, `Ortanique`, and `Page` mandarins will have few seeds if no pollenizer is present. Recently released mid to late season cultivars that are very low-seeded include `Gold Nugget` (unpatented), `TDE2` mandarin hybrid (Shasta Gold.RTM.) having U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,461, `TDE3` mandarin hybrid (Tahoe Gold.RTM.) having U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,703, and `TDE4` mandarin hybrid (Yosemite Gold.RTM.), having U.S. Publication No. 2003/0237120. `Tango` differs from these cultivars in having fruit with a smoother rind texture that are easier to peel. Trees of `Tango` show less alternate bearing than these cultivars. Additional differences (summarized in Table 6) distinguish it from each of these cultivars.