Details for: PI 209862, Citrus ×limon (L.) Osbeck, 'Fino'

'Mesero' is the original selection from which all 'Fino' selections, such as 'Fino 49' and 'Fino 95' originated. All inferior selections of 'Mesero' have been eliminated from Spanish citrus production and, although 'Mesero' and 'Fino' are interchangeable names, 'Fino' is used to avoid confusion (G Ancillo, IVIA, personal communication, 2017-11-28). It should not be confused with the Italian variety 'Primofiore', which refers to fruit produced by all varieties from the first or spring bloom and which mature at about the same time as the Spanish 'Fino'. 'Fino' is thought to have originated as seedling of 'Común' growing in Vega Alta de Segura, Murcia.

'Fino' and 'Verna' are the most widely cultivated lemons in Spain, accounting for 30 % and 60 %, respectively, of the cultivated area, the remainder being accounted for by 'Eureka', 'Lisbon', and 'Villafranca'. However, the production area of 'Fino' is less than previously, probably due to consumption of fresh lemons being the harvest season. 'Fino' flowers for shorter time in the spring than 'Verna'. The harvest season of 'Fino' in Spain is October through February, making it the earliest lemon to be harvested, and being grown mostly in valleys with late frosts. The important post-harvest characteristics of 'Fino' as compared to 'Verna' are earliness, persistence on the tree, and maintenance of quality during handling and transportation. Both 'Fino' and 'Verna' are sequentially harvested for size. 'Fino' is said to be preferred by processors due to the time of harvest and fruit quality characteristics; in particular for the higher juice content and acid level and higher essential oil content in the rind. In summer there is a very limited second bloom that results in fruits of larger size the following summer.

'Fino' trees are medium to large in size, consistently productive, thorny, and more vigorous than 'Verna', with more dense foliage and larger leaves than the latter. 'Fino' trees are resistant to humidity and chlorosis, but are more susceptible to cold than 'Verna', although recovering more quickly . 'Fino', like most lemon varieties, is susceptible to mal secco (Saunt, 2000). Unlike 'Verna', 'Fino' does not overgrow sour orange rootstock.

'Fino' fruit are pale yellow, the shape being spherical to oval with a small, sharp nipple and no peduncular collar. The size of the fruit is medium (smaller than 'Verna'), with an average measurement of 54 mm diameter X 69 mm length and an average aspect ratio of 0.8. The skin is thin (average 3.9 mm) and very adherent to the pulp, representing 32 - 36 % of the total fruit weight. The average number of segments is 9. The pulp is pale yellow, with a high juice (50 % of total fruit weight) and acid (0.072) content. The number of seeds per fruit averages 9.6, higher than 'Verna'. (compiled from Hodgson, 1967; Gonzalez-Silicia, 1968; Soler Aznar, 1999; Amoros Castañer, 1999; Agustí, 2000; Saunt, 2000)

Field observations in Florida (Ramadugu et al, 2016; Miles et al, 2017) indicated that 'Mesero' was somewhat tolerant of Huanlongbing (HLB), but not among the most tolerant genotypes, and it was not resistant to HLB. (RR Krueger, 2017-11-27)

UC Riverside Citrus Collection Page for 'Mesero'