Gillemberg navel orange

Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck

CRC 4192

VI 582

Photos by Toni Siebert, Lindcove, Ca,12/13/2007. Photo rights. 

Source: Received as budwood from Transvaal, South Africa, 2006. Discovered as a 30-year old tree by Mr Koos Kotze at Gillemberg Estate (Burdette eta l, 1995; Saunt, 2000).

Parentage/origins: Most probably a limb sport of 'Palmer' navel (Burdette et al, 1995; Saunt, 2000).

Rootstocks of accession: Carrizo citrange, C-35 citrange

Season of ripeness at Riverside: November to January

Notes and observations:

RRK: 'Gillemberg' navel matures 4 - 6 weeks after 'Palmer' and hangs well on the tree. The fruit is medium-to-large in size (larger than 'Palmer'), round to oblong in shape, with a pebbly, sometimes coarse rind, and a Palmer-like tight navel end. Fruit quality and yield on the parent tree is excellent. The foliage is denser and the leaves more tapered than 'Palmer'. (Description condensed from Burdette, 1995, and Saunt, 2000.)

In South Africa, 'Gillemberg' was multiplied starting in 1987 and was later shoot-tip-grafted and propagative material distributed through Outspan. Growers weren encouraged to plant 'Gillember' on a "semi-commercial scale" in the Cape areas (Burdette et al, 1995). According to Burdette et al (1995), rootstocks choices for 'Gillemberg' would probably be the same as for 'Parent Washington' and 'Palmer'. Saunt (2000) further notes that 'Gillemberg' "has outstanding flavour even when grown on rough lemon rootstock in the cooler citrus-producing areas in South Africa." 

Availability: Not commercially available in California. This accession is proprietary-owned.

USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network page for Gillemberg navel orange

Bibliography:

Burdette, SA, CJ ALexander, ATC Lee, E Rabe. 1995. Features of some of the main citrus cultivars of southern Africa. Citrus Journal, 5(1):15-21.

2000. Citrus Varieties Of The World, 2nd Ed. Sinclair Intl, Norwich, England.