Kinnow
| Kinnow | |
|---|---|
 Kinnow | |
| Hybrid parentage | 'King' (Citrus nobilis) × 'Willow Leaf' (Citrus × deliciosa) |
| Breeder | Howard B. Frost, University of California Citrus Experiment Station in 1935 |
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][3]
Description
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In a hot climate, plants can grow up to 35 feet (11 m) high.[4] 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, no knives required by consumers. For harvesting, use of sharp pruning shears is recommended to carefully cut the kinnow fruit close to its stem only during dry weather. Harvesting during high humidity weather is not advised as moisture can lead to fruit skin splitting or damage to the fruit.[5]
Seedless kinnow/low seeded kinnow
[edit]The high seed content in this variety is a major hindrance in out-of-hand eating. Mikeal Roose[6] 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. In Pakistan, a seedless kinnow has been developed (using the selection method),[7][8] a team member of the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) in Islamabad, Pakistan[9] and the former director of the Citrus Research Institute in Sargodha, Pakistan.[7]
Export from Asia
[edit]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, Vietnam, United States and Canada.[10] Indonesia has also offered market access to kinnow from Pakistan at zero per cent.[11][12]
Over 40% of the Pakistani exports of kinnows went to Russia in 2015.[13] Internally, the prices of kinnow in Pakistan dropped more than 50% between 2016 and 2020.[14]
Harvesting and handling
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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 (39–41 °F) and a relative humidity of 85–90%.[15] According to the Agriculture department (Punjab, Pakistan) spokesman, "Improper harvesting methods, like pulling the fruit by hand or shaking branches to drop the fruit, can result in damaged fruit and harm to the tree. To ensure quality, farmers are advised to use pruning shears to carefully cut the fruit close to its stem during dry weather".[5]
Fruit processing
[edit]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 Pakistan. Kinnow fruits can be stored at room temperature conditions or under cold storage conditions.[15][7]
Gallery
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Kinnow Flowers
References
[edit]- ↑ Hui, Y. H., 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.
- ↑ "Kinnow". University of California Riverside (ucr.edu) website.
- ↑ Saad (15 September 2025). "The Story of Sargodha Kinnows: Why They're Called the "Citrus King" of Pakistan". SargodhaKinnow.com website. Archived from the original on 14 August 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- ↑ "Kinnow Stomach Reformer, Appetizer, Blood Purifier, Body Recovering Foods, Acidity Shooter Boon". NewITworld (newitworld.com) website. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Guidelines issued to farmers for Kinnow harvesting, handling". The Nation newspaper. 26 January 2025. Archived from the original on 24 July 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- ↑ "UCR Newsroom: UC Riverside releases new citrus variety: 'KinnowLS'". newsroom.ucr.edu. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- 1 2 3 Ismail Dilawar (20 September 2025). "Pakistan rolls out measures to boost citrus exports, eyes wider global markets". Arab News. Archived from the original on 11 November 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- ↑ "ASLP Review Report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
- ↑ "National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) (Pakistan)". Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
- ↑ M. Sharif and Burhan Ahmad. "Marketing of Fruits Under WTO Regime". Pakistan Agricultural Research Council website. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- ↑ "Indonesia, Pakistan ink trade agreement". InvestVine.com website. 17 February 2013. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
- ↑ Khurshid Ahmed (9 May 2021). "Pakistan exports record volume of kinnow as sales in Gulf countries increase by 29 percent". Arab News. Archived from the original on 19 June 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- ↑ "Kinnow demand: Over 40% of exports go to Russian market". The Express Tribune newspaper. 9 March 2015. Archived from the original on 28 May 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
- ↑ "Retail Prices of Kinnow in Pakistan from 2015-2020". Deliver It - Online Sabzi Mandi / Grocery Store in Islamabad. Archived from the original on 14 April 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- 1 2 "Citrus cultivation in Punjab" (PDF). Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India.
External links
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Media related to Kinnow at Wikimedia Commons
