Kinnow
Kinnow, Courtesy by SMHT
Hybrid parentage'King' (Citrus nobilis) × 'Willow Leaf' (Citrus × deliciosa)
BreederHoward B. Frost, University of California Citrus Experiment Station in 1935
Kinnow

The Kinnow is a high yield mandarin hybrid cultivated extensively in the wider Punjab region of India and Pakistan.

It is a hybrid of two citrus cultivars — 'King' (Citrus nobilis) × 'Willow Leaf' (Citrus × deliciosa) — first developed by Howard B. Frost,[1] at the University of California Citrus Experiment Station. After evaluation, the kinnow was released as a new citrus hybrid for commercial cultivation in 1935.[2]

Description

Young kinnow tree bearing fruit

In a hot climate, plants can grow up to 35 feet (11 m) high.[3] Kinnow trees are highly productive; it is not uncommon to find 1,000 fruits per tree.

The fruit matures in January or February. It peels easily and has a high juice content.

Seedless kinnow/ low seeded kinnow

The high seed content in this variety is a major hindrance in out-of-hand eating. Mikeal Roose[4] of University of California, Riverside, USA developed a low seeded kinnow and this variety was released under the name 'Kinnow LS' in the year 2011. H.S. Rattanpal[5] of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India developed a low seeded kinnow through mutation breeding and recommended it under the name 'PAU Kinnow-1' in 2015. In Pakistan, a seedless kinnow has been developed (using the selection method) by Niaz Ahmad Chaudhry,[6][7] a team member of the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) in Islamabad[8] and the former director of the Citrus Research Institute in Sargodha.

Export from Asia

Most of the target export markets of kinnow from India and Pakistan are those of developing countries. Only 2.6 percent of kinnow exports target the markets of developed countries, which is due to the emerging demand for seedless kinnow by the developed countries. About 61 percent of total world exports of oranges and mandarins are of seedless varieties. Some important export markets for kinnow are:Iran, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Netherlands, Philippines, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Russia and Vietnam.[9] Indonesia has also offered market access to kinnow from Pakistan at zero per cent.[10] Over 40% of the Pakistani exports of kinnows went to Russia in 2015.[11] Internally, the prices of Kinnow in Pakistan dropped more than 50% between 2016 and 2020.[12] The government of Pakistan is in the process of registration of kinnow as a Geographical Indication (GI). Pakistan's Ministry of Commerce notified Sarogodha Kinnow as a GI on 28 August 2021.

Harvesting and handling

Picking of Kinnow with clippers

Kinnow fruit seeds are planted between August and October. Harvesting starts when the fruit's external colour becomes orange, from December to February. The best harvesting time is mid-January to mid-February, when the fruit attains a TSS/acid ratio of 12:1 to 14:1. The fruit quality declines in later pickings. Fruits are harvested by clipping the stem with the help of sharp clippers (secateurs). The stem is cut as short as possible to avoid mechanical injury to the fruit in packing and transits. As it is a comparatively loose rind fruit, harvesting by pulling fruits with one's hands is avoided. Coating kinnow fruits with commercial waxes can increase the shelf life up to 60 days. The fruit can be stored in cold storage at a temperature of 4-5 °C and a relative humidity of 85-90%.[13]

Packing of kinnows, Courtesy by SMHT Exports (Harvest Tradings)
Kinnow products

Fruit processing

Food processing includes the selection of good-quality fruit. The ideal kinnow is firm to slightly soft, smooth-skinned with no deep grooves, and deep orange to almost red. Human hands can better judge and avoid product with soft spots, dull and faded coloring or rough and bumpy skin. Many processing technologies have been developed by state agricultural universities and other research institutes of India. Kinnow fruits can be stored at room temperature conditions or under cold storage conditions.[13]

Notes

  1. ↑ Y. H. Hui, M. Pilar Cano, and Josef Barta (Editors) Handbook of Fruits and Fruit Processing. Wiley, John & Sons. 2006. ISBN 978-0-8138-1981-5; page 312.
  2. ↑ "Kinnow". ucr.edu.
  3. ↑ "newitworld.com". Archived from the original on 2015-02-04.
  4. ↑ "UCR Newsroom: UC Riverside releases new citrus variety: 'KinnowLS'". newsroom.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  5. ↑ "Cross pollination: PAU low seeded kinnow scores over Pak variety". The Indian Express. 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  6. ↑ "Pakistan, currently the largest kinnow grower". 12 December 2010.
  7. ↑ "ASLP Review Report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-12-06.
  8. ↑ NARC
  9. ↑ Marketing of Fruits Under WTO Regime, Dr. M. Sharif and Burhan Ahmad, Social Sciences Institute, NARC Islamabad Archived 2008-12-11 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ "Indonesia, Pakistan ink trade agreement". Investvine.com. 2013-02-17. Retrieved 2013-02-21.
  11. ↑ "Kinnow demand: Over 40% of exports go to Russian market". The Express Tribune. 9 March 2015.
  12. ↑ "Retail Prices of Kinnow in Pakistan from 2015-2020". Deliver It - Online Sabzi Mandi / Grocery Store in Islamabad. Archived from the original on 2020-04-14. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  13. 1 2 "Citrus cultivation in Punjab" (PDF). Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India.

References

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