ISHS Acta Horticulturae 558: I International Symposium on Litchi and Longan
LONGAN EVALUATION AND SELECTION IN FLORIDA, USA |
| Authors: | R.J. Campbell, C.W. Campbell |
| Keywords: | cultivar, Dimocarpus longan Lour., evaluation, Florida |
| Abstract:
The longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) has been a recent commercial success in Florida, USA, with significant expansion of production in the last 15 years. Germplasm introduction began on a significant scale with the importation of seed from China in the 1940s. These seedling trees were generally unreliable in fruiting, dark- and thick-skinned, small fruited, and with a good flavor. As a whole, they were difficult to propagate by air-layering. They never attained commercial success. The ‘Kohala’ was introduced by William F. Whitman for the Rare Fruit Council International, Inc. in 1954 from Hawaii. It was more reliable in its blooming and fruiting, light- and thin-skinned, with a large fruit size. The trees also proved to be easily propagated by air-layering. There were multiple trials made of seedlings from Thailand and from local ‘Kohala’ seed in subsequent years, but no selections ever proved to be superior to the original ‘Kohala’ tree. Thai cultivars continue to be evaluated, but have not been more reliable in fruiting or of superior fruit quality to ‘Kohala’ in South Florida. The cultivars ‘Biew Kiew’ and ‘Diamond River’ are generating considerable interest in Florida, but have not been sufficiently tested. The genetic base of the commercial longan industry in Florida is limited and should be expanded through additional introductions of superior selections and the selection of local seedlings. | |
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