"Dr Roose says this might be promising for eventual release to the industry. Tentative plan is to process for variety collection, 1/2 foundation set + CB block at Lindcove, early release, and fruit in screenhouse quickly if possible." (EM Nauer, 04/1988) USDA 88-2 is an early season, small- to madium-sized mandarin hybrid that is easy-to-peel, seedless, and has good flavor and color. (RRK, 04/2007)
Yelenosky et al (1995) found this genotype to be more cold tolerant than some other experimental hybrids. Trees in the Lake Wales area were only slightly injured during the 1989 freeze. This genotype is considered "moderately cold hardy" by the authors. (RR Krueger, 02/06/2009)
Pictures of USDA 88-2 are available from the UC Riverside Citrus Varieties Collection and fruit quality data is available from the UC Riverside Citrus Clonal Protection Program.