Rohde navel orange 

Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck

CRC 4084

VI 565

Photos by Toni Siebert, CVC, 5/13/2008. Photo rights. Both trees on Carrizo, 7 year old trees.

Source: Received as budwood from McLaren Management Group, Iraak, Victoria, Australia, 1999.

Parentage/origins: Rohde is a more recently imported navel orange selection from Australia.  This patented selection was first observed on the property of the McLaren Management Group at Iraak in North Eastern Victoria Australia. Found in the early 1980's.

Rootstocks of accession: Carrizo citrange, C-35 citrange

Season of ripeness at Riverside: February to June. It matures about the same time as Lane Late and can be stored mature on the tree about the same time as Lane Late before granualtion becomes a commercial problem.

Notes and observations: In the late 1980s and early 1990s, six of the twelve selections (Autumn Gold, Barnfield, Chislett, Powell, Rohde, and Summer Gold) evaluated in Australia, were sent to the CCPP for quarantine and then subsequently released for propagation in California in 1991 and 1992. In mid 1990s, an additional selection called Wiffen was also introduced through the CCPP into California. The California Citrus Nursery Society (CCNS) agreed to facilitate the testing of these late navel selections which are currently licensed in California. Evaluations of six of these selections began in California in 1997 at nine locations in collaboration with growers ranging from Madera in the north to Fillmore in the south. (Kahn and Bier 2003).  Please see "New late-season navel orange varieties evaluated for quality characteristics" in the bibliography for a complete description of this variety.

Rohde is said to have more flavor than Lane Late in most months and a similar amount of juice and acid, but ahs a lower percent granulation problem late in the season.  Slightly oblong fruit in some seasons, usually round. It may have a slightly coarse or rough skin texture especially late in the season or when excessive amounts of fertilizer are applied, or when the crop is light. Fruit size is the same as Lane Late. It is likely to produce more fruit per hectare than Lane Late. All tristeza tolerant rootstocks can be used depending on soil type as for other oranges.

Availability: Commercially available in California through the Citrus Clonal Protection Program. THIS IS A PROPRIETARY CULTIVAR OWNED BY BROKAW NURSERY, INC. P. O. Box 4818, Saticoy, CA 93007.

USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network page for Rohde navel orange

CVC Fruit quality data for Rohde navel orange

Bibliography:

"New late-season navel orange varieties evaluated for quality characteristics". California Agriculture. 2007. Kahn, T., Bier O., Beaver, R.Volume 61, Number 3.