The Melogold or Melogold grapefruit (''

Citrus grandis The pomelo ( ), ''Citrus maxima'', is the largest citrus fruit from the family Rutaceae and the principal ancestor of the grapefruit. It is a natural, non-hybrid, citrus fruit, native to Southeast Asia. Similar in taste to a sweet grapefru ...

'' Osbeck × '' C. Paradisi'' Macf.) is a

citrus hybrid Citrus taxonomy refers to the botanical classification of the species, varieties, cultivars, and graft hybrids within the genus ''Citrus'' and related genera, found in cultivation and in the wild. Citrus taxonomy is complex and controversial. ...

similar to the

oroblanco An oroblanco, oro blanco (white gold), Pomelit (Israel) or sweetie (''Citrus grandis'' Osbeck × '' C. Paradisi'' Macf.) is a sweet seedless citrus hybrid fruit similar to grapefruit. It is often referred to as oroblanco grapefruit. Developmen ...

; both result from a cross between the

pomelo The pomelo ( ), ''Citrus maxima'', is the largest citrus fruit from the family Rutaceae and the principal ancestor of the grapefruit. It is a natural, non-hybrid, citrus fruit, native to Southeast Asia. Similar in taste to a sweet grapefr ...

and the

grapefruit The grapefruit (''Citrus'' × ''paradisi'') is a subtropical citrus tree known for its relatively large, sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter fruit. The interior flesh is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark pink. Grapefruit is ...

and is a fruit similar to a sweet grapefruit.

Motivation

The intent was to obtain a grapefruit-like cross that is less bitter or acidic than grapefruit, instead achieving sweetness similar to the pomelo. It was to be smaller than the pomelo, and more flavourful, with characteristics linked to the grapefruit. The breeders intentionally used a

tetraploid Polyploidy is a condition in which the cells of an organism have more than one pair of ( homologous) chromosomes. Most species whose cells have nuclei (eukaryotes) are diploid, meaning they have two sets of chromosomes, where each set contains ...

grapefruit and a

diploid Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for autosomal and pseudoautosomal genes. Sets of chromosomes refer to the number of maternal and paternal chromosome copies, respectively ...

pomelo, with

triploid Polyploidy is a condition in which the cells of an organism have more than one pair of ( homologous) chromosomes. Most species whose cells have nuclei ( eukaryotes) are diploid, meaning they have two sets of chromosomes, where each set contain ...

progeny and

seedless A seedless fruit is a fruit developed to possess no mature seeds. Since eating seedless fruits is generally easier and more convenient, they are considered commercially valuable. Most commercially produced seedless fruits have been developed from ...

Characteristics

Melogold Grapefruit (Citrus) 'Melogold' (3107647326)

Similar to oroblanco, Melogold can be eaten with a

grapefruit spoon A grapefruit spoon is a utensil usually similar in design to a teaspoon that tapers to a sharp edge or teeth, the intent of the front serration being to separate the flesh of a grapefruit from its rind. Also called an orange spoon, citrus spoon ...

, or peeled as an

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

. They turn from green to yellow during ripening. Melogold was once said to be preferred as a cash crop over oroblanco, since melogold has thinner skin, which is preferred by consumers. Exterior peel color is slower to develop than in Marsh grapefruit, but late in the season is comparable. Exterior peel texture is smooth to slightly pebbled. Average peel thickness is slightly greater than Marsh, but as a percentage of fruit diameter is equal to Marsh and thinner than Oroblanco; interior color and texture are the same as Oroblanco. As with Oroblanco the central core hollow is greater than Marsh at maturity. The flesh is tender and juicy, separating well from the segment membranes. Percent juice has been equal to Marsh and slightly higher than Oroblanco.

History

In 1958, CRC 2240 (pomelo)

Robert K. Soost Robert K. Soost (November 13, 1920, Sacramento – March 8, 2009) was a citrus expert and professor of genetics at University of California, Riverside, and sixth curator of the University of California Citrus Variety Collection. He studied at ...

and

James W. Cameron James W. Cameron (23 April 1913 – 12 January 2010) was an emeritus professor of horticultural science, a geneticist and citrus breeder in the University of California Citrus Experiment Station. Breeding Together with Robert Soost he developed t ...

crossed with a seedy, white, tetraploid grapefruit. Two of the triploid offspring had particularly favorable characteristics. One was released in 1980 as 'Oroblanco'. The second was released as Melogold. Oroblanco was more similar to grapefruit, while Melogold was more similar to pomelo. Melogold was much larger than Marsh grapefruit and Oroblanco at all test locations. Weight at Riverside from 1967 through 1975 averaged 470 grams for Melogold, 360 grams for Oroblanco and 280 grams for Marsh.

References

External links

* Soost, R. K.; Cameron J. W
"'Melogold', A Triploid Pummelo – Grapefruit Hybrid"
''Journal of Horticultural Sciences''. 1985. .
UCR NewsRoom

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