Rootstock and Scion Affect Orange Juice Flavor

Abstract

Breeding and screening of HLB tolerant scion and rootstock cultivars have been recognized as one of the effective ways to control the disease and increase the supply of quality citrus fruit under these adverse circumstances. In order to make sure fruits from the new cultivars meet the conusmer demand, we characterized the flavor and consumer preference of HLB-tolerant scion/rootstock combinations.  Orie Lee late (OLL) sweet oranges grafted on different rootstocks were used in this study. As a result, rootstocks could affect sweetness, consumer liking and overall flavor. Freshness and overall orange flavor were significantly influenced by the scion varieties. For maximum juice quality from HLB-impacted trees, such relationships should be considered when we choose the scion/rootstock combinations in the future.