On-Farm Evaluation of Sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa) Varieties for Central Florida Commercial Production
Sustainable Agriculture
Matthew Smith
Commercial Crop Production and Food Systems Agent
United States
Tavares
Abstract
Sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is a flowering plant native to West Africa that is very popular in Afro-Caribbean culinary culture. While much of the plant is useable, the most common product derived from sorrel is a deep red tea made from the calyces with a flavor reminiscent of cranberry. While not commonly grown commercially in the continental United States, there is increased interest among Central Florida small farms to grow and market sorrel to the large Afro-Caribbean population in the Orlando and Tampa metro areas. In partnership with a plant breeder from the University of the Virgin Islands and with funding from a Southern SARE grant, the purpose of this study is to trial four sorrel varieties on two Central Florida farms over a two year period to determine optimal varieties for Central Florida growers. Two research sites were selected on two farms using organic methods in Lake County, Florida. Four varieties were tested: ‘Festival’ and ‘Black,’ which are photoperiod-sensitive, and ‘Day Neutral’ and ‘Local,’ which are not. Each research plot utilized a randomized block system with 4 blocks consisting of 7 plants per variety. Data was taken on the 2nd, 4th, and 6th plant for each variety in each block and consisted of weights of mature sorrel calyces with and without the inedible seed boll. Planting occurred in June 2021 and the season concluded in November 2021 when the plants began to senesce. A large fusarium outbreak rendered data from one site unusable. SAS GLIMMIX's linear modeling tool was used to evaluate the data from the surviving site. ‘Festival’ produced no marketable calyces until November and Black produced none. For calyces bearing bolls, the sorrel varieties 'Local' and 'Day Neutral' had comparable mean yield responses. The no-boll calyces assessment revealed that 'Day Neutral' had a significantly higher mean yield than 'Local.' The yield was explained by the week of the year rather than the month and the mean yield responses for with- and without-boll calyces followed a similar pattern. The largest yields were achieved in weeks 40 and 41, with yields gradually declining in week 42 for both varieties.
Authors: Matthew Smith, Norma Samuel, Brandon White, Thomas Zimmerman, Gideon Alake
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Matthew Smith Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Agent, University of Florida IFAS Extension Sumter County, Florida, 33513
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Norma Samuel Florida-Friendly Landscaping & Urban Horticulture Agent, University of Florida IFAS Extension Sumter County, Florida, 33513
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Brandon White Commercial Crop Production & Food Systems Agent, University of Florida IFAS Extension Lake County, Florida, 32778
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Thomas Zimmerman Assoc. Director and Assoc. Professor of Biotechnology and Agroforestry, University of the Virgin Islands School of Agriculture Agricultural Experiment Station, Puerto Rico, 00850
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Gideon Alake Postdoctoral Associate, University of Florida Entomology and Nematology Department, Florida, 32611