Strawberry plant named ‘Driscoll Pearl’
This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry named ‘Driscoll Pearl.’ The variety is similar to the varieties ‘San Juan’ and ‘Driscoll Lanai.’ The variety is distinguished from ‘San Juan’ and ‘Driscoll Lanai,’ in particular, by its longer petiole length, longer fruiting truss length, upright growth habit, strong sweetness of fruit, and highly susceptibility to powdery mildew.
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1. Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: The variety is botanically identified as Fragaria×ananassa.
1.1 Variety denomination: The strawberry variety denomination is ‘Driscoll Pearl’.
2. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe new variety originated as a result of a controlled cross between the strawberry plants ‘San Juan’ (U.S. Pant Pat. No. PP12,899) and ‘88E94’ (unpatented) in an ongoing breeding program, and was discovered as a seedling in Monterey County, Calif. in 2000. The original seedling of the new cultivar was asexually propagated by stolons in a Nursery in Shasta County, Calif. Propagules were transplanted to a controlled breeding plot in Monterey County, Calif., where the variety was identified and selected for further evaluation. ‘Driscoll Pearl’ was subsequently asexually propagated and underwent further testing in Monterey County, Calif. for four years. This propagation and testing has demonstrated that the combination of traits disclosed herein which characterize the new variety are fixed and retained true to type through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
3. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry named ‘Driscoll Pearl.’ The variety is botanically identified as Fragaria×ananassa. The new variety is distinguished from other varieties by a number of characteristics as set forth in Tables 1-4.
4. COMPARISON TO SIMILAR VARIETIESThe varieties which we believe to be similar to ‘Driscoll Pearl’ from those known to us are ‘San Juan’ and ‘Driscoll Lanai’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. PP15,145). There are several characteristics of the new variety that are different from, or not possessed by ‘San Juan’ and ‘Driscoll Lanai’. For example, the new variety has a longer petiole length, a longer fruiting truss length, an upright growth habit, strong sweetness of fruit, and is highly susceptible to powdery mildew.
The paternal parent, 88E94, was not available for side by side comparison with ‘Driscoll Pearl’. ‘Driscoll Pearl’ differs from 88E94 by having superior fruit size and shelf-life, greater plant vigor, dark red fruit color compared to 88E94s oranged red. ‘Driscoll Pearl’ also differs from 88E94 by being partially everbearing while 88E94 was fully everbearing. ‘Driscoll Pearl’ is distinguished from its maternal parent ‘San Juan’ as indicated in Tables 1-4.
The accompanying photographs show typical specimens of the new variety, including fruit, foliage and flowers, in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make in color illustrations of these characteristics.
The following detailed description of the new variety is based upon observations taken of plants harvested from a nursery in McArthur, Calif. in October and held in cold storage until planting in Monterey County, Calif. in November and December of the same year. Plants were grown in raised beds of soil under conditions typical of commercial strawberry production in Monterey County, Calif. Fruits were harvested twice weekly from April, 2003 to November, 2003 for yield determination. Observations of ‘Driscoll Pearl’, ‘San Juan’, and ‘Driscoll Lanai’ were made in side by side comparison in August, 2004. 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. Colors are described and the most similar color designations are provided from The Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S.) Colour Chart.
6.1 PROPAGATIONThe new variety is principally propagated by way of stolons. Although propagation by stolons is presently preferred, other known methods of propagating strawberry plants may be employed.
6.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEW VARIETYInformation on the new variety is presented in Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4. In the tables, the flowers described are secondary flowers except where indicated. The fruit described is the secondary fruit on eight month old plants. Fruit and flower measurements are an average of both primary and secondary fruit and flowers.
Table 1 provides information on the plant and fruit characteristics of the new variety ‘Driscoll Pearl’ compared with characteristics of ‘San Juan’ and ‘Driscoll Lanai.’ Table 2 provides additional information of the plant and fruit characteristics of the new variety ‘Driscoll Pearl’ compared with characteristics of the varieties ‘San Juan’ and ‘Driscoll Lanai.’ Table 3 provides reactions of the new variety to stresses, pests and diseases compared with reactions of the varieties ‘San Juan’ and ‘Driscoll Lanai.’ Table 4 provides isozyme characteristics of the new variety as compared to that of the varieties ‘San Juan’ and ‘Driscoll Lanai.’
In addition to the morphological description above, the new cultivar ‘Driscoll Pearl’ has been analyzed to obtain an indication of its genetic makeup to provide further means for identifying the new variety and distinguishing it from other somewhat similar and/or related strawberry varieties. Specifically, leaf samples of ‘Driscoll Pearl’, ‘San Juan’ and ‘Driscoll Lanai’ were analyzed by electrophoresis for isozyme patterns of the enzymes phosphoglucoisomerase (“PGI”), leucine aminopeptidase (“LAP”) and phosphoglucomutase (“PGM”). See J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 106:684-687. Isozyme characterization of the three varieties is presented in Table 4, with the letters representing the banding patterns for each enzyme as designated in the above-identified article.
Claims
1. A new and distinct variety of strawberry plant, substantially as shown and described.
Type: Grant
Filed: Oct 1, 2004
Date of Patent: Feb 7, 2006
Assignee: Driscoll Strawberry Associates, Inc. (Watsonville, CA)
Inventors: Bruce D. Mowrey (Watsonville, CA), Kristie L. Gilford (Dover, FL), Larry T. Kodama (Watsonville, CA), JoAnne Cross (Salinas, CA)
Primary Examiner: Anne Marie Grunberg
Assistant Examiner: Annette H Para
Attorney: Jones Day
Application Number: 10/957,401