Abstract: A new and distinctly salt and boron tolerant cultivar of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica), named ‘Seleno-Green,’ is particularly distinguishable by its ability to tolerate and grow in high concentration of salt, boron and selenium-laden soil. The cultigen was originally discovered by stringent selection of randomly harvested cladodes (modified stems) and potentially from isolation of a single unique cladode or sport that exhibited high levels of salt and boron tolerance necessary for survival, and then propagated into the ‘Seleno-Green’ cultivar. The cladodes were originally randomly harvested from different individual plants and screened from within a naturally segregating wild population or accession. The ‘Seleno-Green’ cultivar has yellow-orange flowers, mature green cladodes without glochids, and yellow-green fruit.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 21, 2012
Date of Patent:
December 3, 2013
Assignees:
California State University, Fresno, Red Roche Ranch, LLC, USDA
Inventors:
Gary Banuelos, John Diener, John Leonard Freeman