Abstract Detail

Horticulture

Nair, M.P.M. [1], Tanino, Karen [2].

35 years of breeding---New low-light tolerant Canadian citrus and edible plants for the home indoor windowsill environment and greenhouse industry.

M.P.M. Nair in conjunction with the University of Saskatchewan has developed low light tolerant Citrus (adapted to < 100 μmolm2s1). Thirty-five years ago, he brought shade-adapted tropical citrus (bush type) from South India (Kerala) to Saskatchewan, Canada (52o7’ N latitude) and used this as the female parent with standard U.S. commercial cultivars. After three generations of selections and crossing citrus with multiple blooming cycles, the new citrus lines showed excellent performance in the indoor home windowsill environment in Saskatchewan, Canada. These citrus plants will flower and fruit year round even under east windowsill conditions in the winter of ca. 40 μmolm2s1. Some of these new citrus plants are producing up to 12 to 15 commercial size lemon fruit/plant in a 15 cm pot. Quality traits include seedlessness, thin-exocarp, juicy, Brix = 7. These new plants are truly unique--they are adapted to indoor, low light conditions---in contrast to currently available Citrus plants in the marketplace, which cannot flower and fruit indoors under low light conditions, they are adapted to outdoor high light, frost-free conditions of the citrus belt. The concept of home “Windowsill Farming” is the basis of a rapidly growing Garden Centre and Greenhouse industry to supply adapted crops. With increasing urbanization and high rises, decreasing access to land, increasing cloud/rain in some regions, along with high interest in food security and healthy fresh foods, the demand for such plants is significant. Furthermore, low light tolerant crops can be grown under canopies thereby producing two crops in the same space. However, specific edible food crops adapted to lower light, indoor environments are virtually non-existent, because of the lack of productive germ plasm that can tolerate low light intensities. The purpose of this presentation is to introduce this novel, new germplasm to this national audience for the first time.

1 - Canadian Low Light Plants & Products Research Inc., 4461 Clarence Ave. South, Grasswood, SK, Canada
2 - University of Saskatchewan, Plant Sciences, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A8, Canada

Keywords:
low light tolerant
citrus
edible
indoor windowsill
food security.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Topics
Session: 14
Location: Salon 19/20/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 2:45 PM
Number: 14006
Abstract ID:384
Candidate for Awards:None