Pomegranate

Authors: Preece, John; CHATER, JOHN - University Of California; MERHAUT, DONALD - University Of California; JIA, ZHENYU - University Of California

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/27/2018
Publication Date: 6/1/2018
Citation: Preece, J.E., Chater, J.M., Merhaut, D.J., Jia, Z. 2018. Pomegranate. HortScience. 53(6):770.

Interpretive Summary: Emek. Medium-sized dark pink to red with sweet, red arils and relatively soft seeds that ripens in mid-August. Origin: Yizre'el Valley, Israel, by D. Holland, I. Bar-Ya'akov and K. Hatib; Unknown parent O.P.; observed 2003, selected 2006; USPP 21,907; 31 July 2009. Fruit: Good productivity; medium-sized, 86 mm high without the calyx, 86.9 mm diameter; dark pink to red with sweet, red arils; relatively soft seeds; sweet. Tree: Upright and spreading; medium size; 2.5-2.6 m tall and 2.3-2.4 m spread; good vigor; tolerates down to -3ºC. Kamada. Bright, dark red, uniformly round, with soft seeds, and sweet arils. Origin. Near Orange Cove, Fresno County, California by B.K. Kannada; bud sport on a Wonderful tree; USPP 2,723, 10 December 1967. Fruit: More brightly colored dark red than Wonderful; thin rind that resists splitting; sweet arils with soft seeds; round, 88.9 mm tall and 88.9 mm diameter; ripens 3 weeks earlier than Wonderful. Tree. Vigorous, small and round; somewhat thorny; suckers freely. Kamel. Medium-sized tree with large, dark red fruit with red arils and a sweet-sour flavor. Origin: Yizre'el Valley, Israel, by D. Holland, I. Bar-Ya'akov and K. Hatib; Unknown parent O.P.; observed 2003, selected 2006; USPP 21,966; 31 July 2009. Fruit: Good productivity of uniform, dark red with red arils; large, 79 mm high without the calyx, 96.4 mm diameter; late ripening, beginning of October; peel may crack; aril separation easy; sweet-sour, medium-hard seeds. Tree: Upright and spreading; medium size; 2.2-2.8 m tall and 2.6-3.1 m spread; good vigor; tolerates down to -3ºC. Ki-Zakuro. Variegated double reddish pink and white flowers, ornamental cultivar. Origin: Shibamichi Nursery, Saitama, Japan; collected by S. March, A. Shibamichi, and F.P. Drake in 1985 for the USA National Arboretum. Given to the USDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository, Davis, CA in 1990. Fruit: This plant is generally sterile, but may rarely set inedible fruitlets. Tree: Upright growth habit, 2 m tall after 4 years; no thorns; suckers readily. Flower: Large and showy variegated double with bright reddish pink petal bases with white outer edges; > 100 petals per flower; durable with a good postharvest shelf life; can be dried and displayed for years. PQ2009. Yellow with bright red arils that are sweet with low acidity and medium soft seeds. Origin: Seedling from seed sown in 2009 by M.A. Miller; obtained from O.P. fruit from an unknown cultivar grown by a home gardener; USPP 27,747, 8 April 2015. Fruit: Yellow with bright red arils and medium soft seeds; sweet flavor with low acidity; produces on year-old container plants; 9.5 cm height, 8.5 cm diameter; globose with persistent calyx; ripens late summer to late autumn. Tree. Selected as an ornamental and large container or landscape plant; multi-stemmed; 2-year plants were 1.5 m tall and 1.2 m spread in 15-gallon containers in Georgia; cold hardy to at least USDA Zone 8. Red Jay. Early season, very dark red-fruited, similar to Wonderful. Origin: Bud sport of Wonderful by J.A. Yurosek; USPP 27,981, 4 December 2014. Fruit: Round with protruding calyx; 82.5-90 mm diameter; 450-500 g; dark red fruit with very dark red arils with medium-hard seeds with more uniform color than Wonderful; low acidity; matures 60 days earlier than Wonderful. Tree: Similar to Wonderful with an upright fountain shape; shorter petioles than Wonderful; 3-4 m tall, somewhat more vigorous than Wonderful, sucker production similar to Wonderful; slightly thorny. Smith. Soft-seeded, deep red rind with moderate red to deep red arils with higher acidity than Granada. Origin: Near Visalia in the San Joaquin Valley of central California; volunteer seedling 15.5 m from a commercial orchard of Granada by G. Smith, first observed 1996; USPP 16,578, 30 October 2003. Fruit: Deeply red fruit, similar to Granada; arils from moderate to deep red

Technical Abstract: Emek. Medium-sized dark pink to red with sweet, red arils and relatively soft seeds that ripens in mid-August. Origin: Yizre'el Valley, Israel, by D. Holland, I. Bar-Ya'akov and K. Hatib; Unknown parent O.P.; observed 2003, selected 2006; USPP 21,907; 31 July 2009. Fruit: Good productivity; medium-sized, 86 mm high without the calyx, 86.9 mm diameter; dark pink to red with sweet, red arils; relatively soft seeds; sweet. Tree: Upright and spreading; medium size; 2.5-2.6 m tall and 2.3-2.4 m spread; good vigor; tolerates down to -3ºC. Kamada. Bright, dark red, uniformly round, with soft seeds, and sweet arils. Origin. Near Orange Cove, Fresno County, California by B.K. Kannada; bud sport on a Wonderful tree; USPP 2,723, 10 December 1967. Fruit: More brightly colored dark red than Wonderful; thin rind that resists splitting; sweet arils with soft seeds; round, 88.9 mm tall and 88.9 mm diameter; ripens 3 weeks earlier than Wonderful. Tree. Vigorous, small and round; somewhat thorny; suckers freely. Kamel. Medium-sized tree with large, dark red fruit with red arils and a sweet-sour flavor. Origin: Yizre'el Valley, Israel, by D. Holland, I. Bar-Ya'akov and K. Hatib; Unknown parent O.P.; observed 2003, selected 2006; USPP 21,966; 31 July 2009. Fruit: Good productivity of uniform, dark red with red arils; large, 79 mm high without the calyx, 96.4 mm diameter; late ripening, beginning of October; peel may crack; aril separation easy; sweet-sour, medium-hard seeds. Tree: Upright and spreading; medium size; 2.2-2.8 m tall and 2.6-3.1 m spread; good vigor; tolerates down to -3ºC. Ki-Zakuro. Variegated double reddish pink and white flowers, ornamental cultivar. Origin: Shibamichi Nursery, Saitama, Japan; collected by S. March, A. Shibamichi, and F.P. Drake in 1985 for the USA National Arboretum. Given to the USDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository, Davis, CA in 1990. Fruit: This plant is generally sterile, but may rarely set inedible fruitlets. Tree: Upright growth habit, 2 m tall after 4 years; no thorns; suckers readily. Flower: Large and showy variegated double with bright reddish pink petal bases with white outer edges; > 100 petals per flower; durable with a good postharvest shelf life; can be dried and displayed for years. PQ2009. Yellow with bright red arils that are sweet with low acidity and medium soft seeds. Origin: Seedling from seed sown in 2009 by M.A. Miller; obtained from O.P. fruit from an unknown cultivar grown by a home gardener; USPP 27,747, 8 April 2015. Fruit: Yellow with bright red arils and medium soft seeds; sweet flavor with low acidity; produces on year-old container plants; 9.5 cm height, 8.5 cm diameter; globose with persistent calyx; ripens late summer to late autumn. Tree. Selected as an ornamental and large container or landscape plant; multi-stemmed; 2-year plants were 1.5 m tall and 1.2 m spread in 15-gallon containers in Georgia; cold hardy to at least USDA Zone 8. Red Jay. Early season, very dark red-fruited, similar to Wonderful. Origin: Bud sport of Wonderful by J.A. Yurosek; USPP 27,981, 4 December 2014. Fruit: Round with protruding calyx; 82.5-90 mm diameter; 450-500 g; dark red fruit with very dark red arils with medium-hard seeds with more uniform color than Wonderful; low acidity; matures 60 days earlier than Wonderful. Tree: Similar to Wonderful with an upright fountain shape; shorter petioles than Wonderful; 3-4 m tall, somewhat more vigorous than Wonderful, sucker production similar to Wonderful; slightly thorny. Smith. Soft-seeded, deep red rind with moderate red to deep red arils with higher acidity than Granada. Origin: Near Visalia in the San Joaquin Valley of central California; volunteer seedling 15.5 m from a commercial orchard of Granada by G. Smith, first observed 1996; USPP 16,578, 30 October 2003. Fruit: Deeply red fruit, similar to Granada; arils from moderate to deep red