The Valencian Institute of Agricultural Research (IVIA) is developing the new rootstock CIVAC 19, a hybrid of Cleopatra mandarin and Poncirus trifoliata, tolerant to Tristeza virus (CTV), a disease that affects grafted orange, mandarin, and grapefruit trees.

María Ángeles Forner, from the IVIA’s Citriculture and Plant Production Center, says: “This new rootstock is becoming part of the catalogue of plant materials obtained within the IVIA’s citrus rootstock improvement program, aimed at strengthening the competitiveness, sustainability, and modernization of the citrus sector.”

IVIA’s program for the genetic improvement of rootstocks aims towards obtaining new hybrid rootstocks with greater tolerance to disease and abiotic stress, capable of increasing productivity and fruit quality, while reducing cultivation costs.

This line of work also responds to IVIA’s commitment to sustainable citriculture, both from an economic and environmental point of view.

Five new rootstocks
Over the last few decades, this program has allowed the marketing of five new rootstocks, including Forner-Alcaide 5, one of the most widely used in Spain, and Forner-Alcaide 517, a semi-dwarfing rootstock adapted to intensive cultivation systems, which has significantly contributed to reducing production costs and facilitating the mechanization of agriculture.

In this context, CIVAC 19 represents a new step in IVIA research. Developed in partnership with the company Agromillora Iberia S.L., this rootstock is tolerant to the Tristeza virus (CTV) and responds well to iron chlorosis. It also has average tolerance to salinity and root asphyxia.

From an agronomic point of view, CIVAC 19 stands out for its semi-dwarfing effect, which significantly reduces the size of the trees to between 1.5 and 2 meters in height. This characteristic makes it particularly suitable for intensive plantations and mechanized harvesting systems and helps in meeting the citrus sector’s growing need to optimize resources and improve production efficiency.

With the introduction of CIVAC 19, the IVIA consolidates its role as a national and international leader in citrus research and reaffirms its commitment to the technological development and sustainability of the Valencian agricultural sector.