The citrus breeding program focuses primarily on producing new, seedless easy-peeler varieties. Unlike the Israeli market, the European market, which is currently the primary citrus export destination, consumes only seedless citrus. Furthermore, as the European market is flooded with cheap Spanish produce during the mid-season, we focus on season extension by developing early-season or late-season varieties. We have developed easy-peeler varieties that exceed the “Or” variety in taste tests, such as Einav, Sa’ar, and Sigal—in the future, they will be marketed both in Israel and worldwide.
Today’s market prefers pigmentation, which is how the white grapefruit became extinct. We are developing red easy-peeler varieties with health benefits that accumulate anthocyanin or lycopene. Additionally, we are developing red grapefruits free of furanocoumarins to allow the elderly population—the primary consumers of grapefruit—to consume them, as they are currently restricted due to medications like statins. We have successfully identified the key gene for furanocoumarin production and, through genome editing, we are developing a furanocoumarin-free grapefruit. There are also outstanding varieties that were stalled due to their susceptibility to Alternaria disease. We are working to identify the gene responsible for resistance and, through genome editing, revive excellent varieties that were stuck in the pipeline.
We developed a new grapefruit-like variety named Aliza, and in a prestigious international competition held in Brussels in 2023, it won first place as the best-tasting citrus variety!
