Raspberry plant named `Tola`

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of red raspberry plant named `Tola`, botanically identified as Rubus idaeus L. The new cultivar is distinguished from other red fruited raspberry cultivars by its fruit of excellent flavor and color, its high yielding capacity (especially on the primocane crop), and its consistency in production of uniform size and shape of fruit. The new cultivar also has greater firmness than most other red fruited cultivars.

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Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar of raspberry plant was developed from the hybridization of the selection `H374-2` (an unpatented variety) as the seed parent with the selection `K589-1` (an unpatented variety) as the pollen parent. The parents were crossed in the Fall of 1991, whereafter fruit and seed were collected to produce seedlings for field planting in Watsonville Calif. in 1991. The new cultivar was selected from these seedlings in September 1992 for its excellent fruit firmness, fruit structure, and disease resistance. The new cultivar has been asexually propagated by in vitro shoot tip culture, root sucker divison and root cuttings at the Cassin Ranch in Santa Cruz County, Calif. and has been shown to maintain the desired and distinguishing characteristics after propagation over several generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a new and distinct cultivar of red raspberry plant named `Tola`. The cultivar is botanically identified as Rubus idaeus L. The `Tola` red raspberry plant produces a primocane crop which begins in mid to late July and continues until late October. The floricane crop begins in mid to late May and continues until mid July. Both the primocane and floricane yields are high relative to other comparable varieties. The fruit of `Tola` is notably quite firm and very consistent with regard to its size and shape throughout its harvest period. The fruit of `Tola` separates easily from its receptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying photographs show typical specimens of the primocane fruit, leaves and shoot of the new cultivar, in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make in color illustrations of these characteristics.

FIG. 1 is a photograph of a `Tola` primocane mature leaf and fruit.

FIG. 2 is a photograph of a `Tola` primocane shoot and leaf.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description of the new raspberry cultivar, `Tola`, is based upon observations taken of plants and fruit grown in Watsonville, Calif. between 1994 and 1997, and is believed to apply to plants of the `Tola` cultivar grown in similar conditions of soil and climate elsewhere.

Throughout this specification, color names beginning with a small letter signify that the name of the color, as used in common speech, is aptly descriptive. Color data beginning with a capital letter and followed by an alphanumeric code designating the color according the The R.H.S. Colour Chart published by The Royal Horticultural Society of London, England. Color designations, color descriptions, and other phenotypical descriptions may deviate from the stated values and descriptions depending upon variation in environmental, seasonal, climatic and cultural conditions.

Tables 1and 2 provide information on the plant and fruit characteristics of the new cultivar `Tola` compared with with characteristics of the unpatented raspberry cultivars `Heritage`, `Summit` and `Amity`. The cultivars closest to the new `Tola` cultivar are `Amity` for fruit size and `Summit` for its fruiting cycles. Observations of the cultivars were taken under similar conditions.

The new variety is particularly characterized and distinguished from other cultivars by its fruit firmness, fruit structure, yield, and disease resistance.

The fruit color of `Tola` is a medium red at harvest but darkens after harvest to a deeper color. Fruit of `Tola` separates easily from the receptacle and is of excellent firmness at harvest. The fruit of `Tola` is very consistent in size and shape throughout the harvest period.

The primocane and floricane yields of `Tola` are high relative to the varieties `Amity` and `Heritage`.

`Tola` is distinguishable from its pollen parent, selection `H374-2`, by producing a higher yield of fruit and having shinier, brighter fruit. The new cultivar is distinguished from its seed parent, selection `K589-1`, by having smaller and firmer fruit.

ISOZYME ANALYSIS

In addition to the morphological description above, the new cultivar `Tola` has been analyzed to obtain an indication of its genetic makeup to provide further means for identifying the new variety and distinguishing it from some other somewhat similar and/or related raspberry varieties. Specifically, leaf samples of `Tola`, and the unpatented varieties `Summit` and `Heritage` were analyzed by electrophoresis for isozyme patterns of the enzymes phosphoglucoisomerase (PGI), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and phoshpoglucomutase (PGM) according to the procedure described by J.C. Cousineau and D.J. Donnelly, "Use of isozyme analysis to characterize raspberry cultivars and detect cultivar mislabeling", Hort Science27:1023-1025(1992). Isozyme characterization of the cultivar `Tola` is presented in Table 3, with the letters representing the banding patterns for each enzyme as designated in the above-identified article.

DISEASE AND STRESS RESISTANCE

The cultivar has very high resistance to late leaf rust. Resistance is unknown to powdery mildew and root rots. Cold tolerance of the new cultivar has not been established. Post harvest fruit rot resistance is good in comparison over many selections and varieties.

                TABLE 1                                                     
     ______________________________________                                    
     PLANT CHARACTERISTICS OF `TOLA`                                           
                       Heri-                                                   
                Tola   tage     Summit   Amity                                 
     ______________________________________                                    
     General                                                                   
     Plant size   large    large    small- medium                              
                                    medium                                     
     Growth habit erect    erect    semi-  erect                               
                                    erect                                      
     Productivity very     medium   high   low-                                
                  high                     medium                              
     Self-fruitfulness                                                         
                  self-    self-    self-  self-                               
                  fruit-   fruit-   fruit- fruit-                              
                  ful      ful      ful    ful                                 
     Primocane                                                                 
     fruiting                                                                  
     percent of cane                                                           
                  .about.40-50                                                 
                           .about.5-20                                         
                                    .about.40-50                               
                                           .about.20-35                        
     length                                                                    
     flowering as                                                              
     primocane                                                                 
     percent of total                                                          
                  .about.50-60                                                 
                           .about.40-60                                        
                                    .about.50-70                               
                                           .about.40-50                        
     yield                                                                     
     Number of young                                                           
                  many     medium   few    many                                
     shoots                                                                    
     Primocanes                                                                
     number fruiting                                                           
                  9-22     2-14     9-15   6-14                                
     laterals/cane                                                             
                  (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                               
                  16)      8)       12)    10)                                 
     number of    1-5      3-5      2-7    1-6                                 
     canes/crown  (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                               
                  3)       4)       3)     3)                                  
     young shoot  medium    medium   medium                                    
                                            medium                             
     pigmentation inten-   inten-   inten- inten-                              
                  sity     sity     sity   sity                                
                  red      red      red    red                                 
     length (cm)  162-     182-     137-   135-                                
                  243      230      212    208                                 
                  (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                               
                  193)     208)     164)   168)                                
     diameter                                                                  
     (end of 1st year)                                                         
     cane base (cm)                                                            
                  1.0-1.8  0.9-1.4  0.8-1.3                                    
                                           0.8-1.5                             
                  (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                               
                  1.4)     1.2)     1.1)   1.1)                                
     central 1/3 of                                                            
                  0.7-1.3  0.8-1.1  0.7-1.0                                    
                                           0.6-1.0                             
     cane (cm)    (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                               
                  1.1)     1.0)     0.8)   0.8)                                
     time of shoot                                                             
                  medium   very     late   medium                              
     emergence             late                                                
     prickles                                                                  
     pigmentation green-   green-   brown- purple                              
                                    ish                                        
                  brown-   brown-   purple-                                    
                  ish      ish                                                 
                  green    green    purple                                     
     density on young                                                          
                  medium   dense    sparse sparse                              
     shoots                                                                    
     attitude of tip                                                           
                  down-    down-    down-  hori-                               
                  ward     ward     ward   zontal                              
     size         small    medium   medium small                               
     texture      soft     rigid    heavy  heavy                               
     presence and regu-    regu-    regu-  regu-                               
     distribution larly    larly    larly  larly                               
     on petioles  distri-  distri-  distri-                                    
                                           distri-                             
                  buted    buted    buted  buted                               
     pubescence on                                                             
                  strong   absent   medium medium                              
     canes                 or                                                  
                           very                                                
                           weak                                                
     internodal                                                                
     distance (cm)                                                             
     (at central 1/3                                                           
                  3.5-6.5  3.0-6.0  3.2-7.5                                    
                                           3.0-6.5                             
     of cane)     (mean     (mean     (mean                                    
                                           (mean                               
                  5.2)     4.7)     4.8)   5.0)                                
     lenticels    not      not      not    not                                 
                  visible  visible  visible                                    
                                           visible                             
     Floricanes                                                                
     number       12-20    10-14    10-15  12-19                               
     nodes/lateral                                                             
     branch                                                                    
     number of    2-4      1-4      2-6    1-2                                 
     flowers/node                                                              
     Leaves                                                                    
     Arrangement  com-     com-     com-   com-                                
                  pound    pound    pound  pound                               
     Relief between                                                            
                  weak     very     medium medium                              
     veins                 weak                                                
     Cross section                                                             
                  concave  concave  flat   con-                                
                                           cave-                               
                                           flat                                
     Leaflet number                                                            
                  usually  3-5      usually                                    
                                           usually                             
                  5                 5      3                                   
     Terminal leaflet                                                          
     length (cm)  11.6     14.6     12.4   13.7                                
     width (cm)   7.5      7.8      7.2    12.1                                
     shape        ovate    ovate    ovate  lobed                               
     tip          acumi-   acumi-   acumi- acumi-                              
                  nate     nate     nate   nate                                
     base         cordate- acute    rounded                                    
                                           cordate                             
                  round                                                        
     margin       doubly   doubly   doubly doubly                              
                  serrate  serrate  serrate                                    
                                           serrate                             
     Lateral leaflets                                                          
     (basal pair)                                                              
     overlap      touch-   free     over-  over-                               
                  ing               lapping                                    
                                           lapping                             
     orientation  opposite opposite opposite                                   
                                           opposite                            
     shape        oblique  oblique  ovate- ovate-                              
                                    lobed  lobed                               
     tip          acumi-   acumi-   acumi- acumi-                              
                  nate     nate     nate   nate                                
     base         oblique  oblique  oblique-                                   
                                           oblique                             
                                    rounded                                    
     margin       doubly   doubly   doubly doubly                              
                  serrate  serrate  serrate                                    
                                           serrate                             
     length (cm)  11.9     14.7     11.6   11.7                                
     width (cm)   7.6      8.6      7.7    8.2                                 
     Rachis length                                                             
                  1.0-1.8  0.8-2.2  0.5-1.8                                    
                                           2.4-3.9                             
     between terminal                                                          
                  (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                               
     leaflet and  1.4)     1.5)     1.2)   3.0)                                
     adjacent lateral                                                          
     leaflets (cm)                                                             
     Glossiness   medium   medium   medium dull                                
     Color                                                                     
     face         medium   medium   medium medium                              
                  137A     137A,    137A   147A                                
                           139A                                                
     underside    138B     148C,    191B   191A                                
                           191B                                                
     Petiole                                                                   
     length (cm)  4.0-10.0 6.6-8.5  5.8-8.9                                    
                                           4.0-8.2                             
                  (mean    (mean    (mean  (mean                               
                  7.1)     7.6)     7.4)   6.0)                                
     pigmentation of                                                           
                  unpig-   lightly  lightly                                    
                                           lightly                             
     upper surface                                                             
                  mented                                                       
     pigmentation of                                                           
                  unpig-   unpig-   lightly                                    
                                           unpig-                              
     underside    mented   mented          mented                              
     Petiolule length                                                          
                  short    very     short  very                                
                           short           short                               
     Stipule      erect    erect    erect- erect-                              
     orientation                    clasping                                   
                                           clasping                            
     Flowers                                                                   
     Flower color white    white    white  white                               
     Flowering period                                                          
     primocane    mid      mid      early  early                               
                  June-    June-    June-  June-                               
                  late     early    mid    early                               
                  September                                                    
                           October  Septem-                                    
                                           October                             
                                    ber                                        
     floricane    early    early    early  early to                            
                  April-   April-   April- mid                                 
                  early June                                                   
                           early June                                          
                                    early June                                 
                                           March-                              
                                           early                               
                                           June                                
     Flower size  small    small    medium large                               
     Petal                                                                     
     length (cm)  0.6-0.8  0.7-0.8  0.7-0.9                                    
                                           0.7-1.0                             
     width (cm)   0.3-0.4   0.3     0.3-0.4                                    
                                           0.3-0.5                             
     Pedicel                                                                   
     coloration   absent   present, present,                                   
                                           present,                            
                  or           strong                                          
                                      strong                                   
                                             strong                            
                             inten-   inten-                                   
                                             inten-                            
                  weak     sity,    sity,  sity,                               
                  inten-   red      red    red                                 
                  sity,                                                        
                  red                                                          
     length       short    medium   medium long                                
     Productivity                                                              
     Primocane    .about.9.2                                                   
                           .about.5.1                                          
                                    .about.7.3                                 
                                           .about.6.4                          
                  t/acre   t/acre   t/acre t/acre                              
     Floricane    .about.4.1                                                   
                           .about.4.1                                          
                                    .about.2.9                                 
                                           .about.5.1                          
                  t/acre   t/acre   t/acre t/acre                              
     ______________________________________                                    
                TABLE 2                                                     
     ______________________________________                                    
     FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS OF `TOLA`                                           
            Tola    Heritage  Summit    Amity                                  
     ______________________________________                                    
     Fruit                                                                     
     Harvest season                                                            
     primocane                                                                 
              mid to late                                                      
                        late July-                                             
                                  mid July-                                    
                                          mid July-                            
              July-late mid       late    mid                                  
              October   November  October November                             
     floricane                                                                 
              mid to late                                                      
                        mid May-  mid May-                                     
                                          late April                           
              May -     mid July  mid July                                     
     mid July                                                                  
              mid July                                                         
     Color    Medium    Medium Red                                             
                                  Medium Red                                   
                                          Medium Red                           
              Red                                                              
     immature 44B       53A       46A     46A                                  
     maturing 45A-47A   45A, 46D  45A     47A                                  
     mature   46A, 46B  44C       42B     42B                                  
     Glossiness                                                                
              medium    medium    medium  medium                               
     Dimensions                                                                
     weight (g/fruit)                                                          
     primocane                                                                 
              2.9-3.6   2.7-2.9   2.5-3.3 2.7-3.7                              
              (mean 3.3)                                                       
                        (mean 2.8)                                             
                                  (mean 2.8)                                   
                                          (mean 3.2)                           
     floricane                                                                 
              2.8-3.5   2.3-2.7   2.5-2.8 3.0-3.4                              
              (mean 3.1)                                                       
                        (mean 2.6)                                             
                                  (mean 2.6)                                   
                                          (mean 3.2)                           
     length   15.9-25.4 --        17.5-25.4                                    
                                          17.5-22.2                            
     (primocane)                                                               
              (mean 22.4)         (mean 20.2)                                  
                                          (mean 20.1)                          
     (mm)                                                                      
     width (primo-                                                             
              17.5-23.8 --        18.3-23.0                                    
                                          15.9-23.0                            
     cane) (mm)                                                                
              (mean 20.9)         (mean 20.4)                                  
                                          (mean 20.2)                          
     Soluble sol-                                                              
              9.2       --        9.4     9.7                                  
     ids (%)                                                                   
     Titratable                                                                
     acidity                                                                   
     (% as citric                                                              
              11.8      --        14.5    11.2                                 
     acid)                                                                     
     Seeds                                                                     
     weight (mg)                                                               
              1.5       --        1.8     1.5                                  
     Number   93-154    45-102    73-119  62-108                               
     druplets/fruit                                                            
              (mean 127)                                                       
                        (mean 72) (mean 98)                                    
                                          (mean 88)                            
     Firmness firm      firm      firm    firm                                 
     Yield    high      medium    high    medium                               
     ______________________________________                                    
                TABLE 3                                                     
     ______________________________________                                    
     ISOZYME BANDING PATTERNS OF `TOLA` COMPARED                               
     WITH `HERITAGE` AND `SUMMIT`                                              
     Isozyme and Pattern                                                       
     Cultivar  PGI           MDH    PGM                                        
     ______________________________________                                    
     Tola      A             C      C                                          
     Heritage  A             D      C                                          
     Summit    A             C      A                                          
     ______________________________________                                    

Claims

1. A new and distinctive cultivar of raspberry plant as illustrated and described herein.

Referenced Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
PP7436 February 5, 1991 Ackerman
Patent History
Patent number: PP11087
Type: Grant
Filed: Feb 5, 1998
Date of Patent: Oct 12, 1999
Assignee: Sweetbriar Development, Inc. (Watsonville, CA)
Inventors: Carlos D. Fear (Aptos, CA), Mella-Dee M. Mayberry (Georgetown, DE)
Primary Examiner: Howard J. Locker
Assistant Examiner: Wendy A Baker
Law Firm: Pennie & Edmonds LLP
Application Number: 9/19,174
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: Raspberry (Plt/204)
International Classification: A01H 500;