Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f.
CRC 4254
VI 868
Source
Lyn Citrus Seed, Arvin, CA sent budwood of this Foothill Lisbon lemon which will became part of the Early Release Budwood program as VI 868 starting November 2016.
Parentage/origins
'Foothill' lemon is apparently a selection of 'Villafranca'. Villafranca was introduced into Florida from Europe by H. S. Sandford about 1875 and into California soon after that (Webber 1948). According to Webber (1948), Villafranca belongs to the Eureka type and was very similar to Eureka except producing larger and more vigorous trees with somewhat denser foliage and thornier than Eureka.
Rootstocks of accession
Carrizo citrange, Yuma Ponderosa lemon, & several others in trials
Season of ripeness at Riverside
Main season is September to January, depending on location.
Notes and observations
RRK 9/27/2020: "There are currently four accessions of 'Foothill' lemon in various permutations: PI 539320, PI 539332, RCRC 4254, and RCRC 4255.
The history of this cultivar is somewhat confusing. 'Foothill' lemon is apparently a selection of 'Villafranca'. According to Hodgson (1967) p 566, 'Villafranca' has characteristics intermediate between 'Lisbon' and 'Eureka' lemons: "Fruit indistinguishable from Eureka, but seasonal distribution of crop more like Lisbon, mainly in winter. Tree similar to Lisbon, but more open and upright in growth habit, less thorny, and not as densely foliated." Hodgson (1967) further states "...certain clones with characteristics intermediate between Eureka and Lisbon have been propagated as selections of [Villafranca]. Almost certainly several of those currently of importance in California, notably the...Corona Foothill Eureka...are in reality Villafranca selections." The fact that 'Foothill' is intermediate between 'Eureka' and 'Lisbon' probably explains the fact that PI 539320 was referred to as a Eureka and PI 539332 was referred to as as Lisbon. It is probably better to refer to these selections simply as 'Foothill'.
'Foothill' was promising in a desert lemon trial, particularly with regard to yield (Kahn et al, 2015). Budwood for the trial was obtained from Young's Nursery, Thermal, CA. Due to the fact that 'Foothill' as VI 232 was not available from CCPP, budwood was obtained by CCPP from Lyn Citrus Seed, Arvin, CA (formerly part of Willits and Newcomb Citrus Nursery) in order to establish an active VI for the certification program. Due to perceived uncertainty as to the identity of the Lyn source with the Young's source, budwood was taken directly from the desert lemon trial for incorporation into the VI program.
'Foothill' is described thusly by Kahn et al (2015): "Corona Foothills [sic] fruit were oblong in shape with excellent exterior fruit quality, average juice content, high seed count, high peel thickness and average peel smoothness. Corona Foothills [sic] fruit had good size, were relatively early in maturity and had the best first harvest yield and next-to-best total yield and returns with excellent cumulative yield."
Corona Foothill lemon is the most frequently planted lemon in Arizona but is not commonly grown in California. In 2006, G. Wright and T. Kahn initiated a desert lemon trial at the Coachella Valley Agricultural Research Station (CVARS), near Thermal. The first summary of results comparing the 12 lemon cultivars for freeze tolerance, tree growth based on canopy volume, fruit yield and earliness was published in the Winter 2014 issue of Citrograph. An update on this trial was published in Citrograph in the summer of 2015 which presented results through 2014 of experimental and commercial fruit pack-out for the trial, exterior and interior fruit quality data, nutrient issues and fruit storage life for the 12 lemon cultivars.
Among the 12 lemon cultivars in the trial Corona Foothills demonstrated excellent exterior fruit quality, average juice content, high seed count, high peel thickness and average peel smoothness. Corona Foothills fruit had good size, were relatively early in maturity and had the best first harvest yield and next-to-best total yield and returns with excellent cumulative yield. These positive attributes initiated interest by growers in obtaining budwood of this cultivar.
Although there was a registered bud source of Corona Foothills in California at Youngs Nursery in Thermal CA, which was also the budwood source for the Desert Lemon trial at CVARS, there was no CCPP Variety Introduction source of this cultivar. As it turns out, Young’s Nursery obtained their original budwood source from Willits and Newcomb (Lyn Citrus Seed) many years ago. Two years ago Lyn Citrus Seed, Arvin, CA sent budwood of this Foothill Lisbon lemon which will become part of the Early Release Budwood program as VI 868 starting November 2016. In the summer of 2014, a grower group visiting the CVARS Desert lemon trial assisted T. Kahn in selecting budwood of Corona Foothill lemon from the trial that was sent to the CCPP. This budwood source was selected from the best performing Corona Foothill tree in the trial with the assistance of a group of lemon growers based on yield and health of the tree and will become part of the Early Release program as VI 871 also starting in November 2016.
Foothill Lisbon and Corona Foothill are both limb sport selections of Villafranca. Villafranca was introduced into Florida from Europe by H. S. Sandford about 1875 and into California soon after that (Webber 1948). According to Webber (1948), Villafranca belongs to the Eureka type and was very similar to Eureka except producing larger and more vigorous trees with somewhat denser foliage and thornier than Eureka. Hodgson (1967) described Villafranca as having fruit which is indistinguishable from Eureka lemon fruit but with tree characteristics similar to Lisbon such as bearing more fruit on the inside of the tree which may explain the confusion about the naming of this cultivar.
Availability
Commercially available in California through the Citrus Clonal Protection Program. Click here to order budwood.
USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network page for Foothill (W-N) lemon