Kiwi plant named ‘Hort51-1785’

A new and distinct kiwi plant of the species Actinidia chinensis Planch. is described. The variety results from a controlled pollination using a female A. chinensis selection ‘Jing Feng’ (also known as 79-3, and by the accession code CK34_01) of unknown parentage, and a male A. chinensis selection CK40_02 of unknown parentage. Both parents (‘Jing Feng’ and CK40_02) are unpatented. The new variety is distinguished by its large globose-shaped fruit with a flat stylar end, golden coloured flesh and tangy sweet taste.

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Description

Genus and species of plant claimed: Actinidia chinensis.

Variety denomination: Hort51-1785.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Kiwi plants in cultivation are mainly varieties of A. deliciosa, particularly ‘Hayward’ although some A. chinensis and A. arguta varieties are grown. A. deliciosa and A. chinensis are closely related and varieties of both types have large fruit (˜100 g) with hair on the skin. The main varieties in New Zealand are ‘Hayward’ (A. deliciosa) and ‘Hort16A’ (A. chinensis). Fruit are usually cut and eaten with a spoon.

All Actinidia species are dioecious, so female varieties have to be interplanted with male pollinizers to ensure fruit production.

A. chinensis vines are deciduous and tend to grow vigorously in spring and summer when rapidly-growing shoots can intertwine and tangle if not managed. Vines do best in a mild warm-temperate climate without late spring or early autumn frosts. They produce consistently heavy crops when grown in well-drained fertile soils and given regular irrigation in dry spells.

A. chinensis flowers in spring (mid October-early December) in New Zealand. Harvest of A. chinensis fruit may occur between April and late-May in New Zealand depending on the selection and location of plantings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a new and distinctive kiwifruit variety having a generally globose shaped fruit with short, soft, silky hair and a golden yellow flesh when ripe. This new variety is designated ‘Hort51-1785’ and is derived from a controlled pollination using a female tetraploid A. chinensis selection ‘Jing Feng’ (also known as 79-3, and by the accession code CK34—01) of unknown parentage, and a male tetraploid A. chinensis selection CK40—02 of unknown parentage.

The female parent was introduced to New Zealand as vegetative plant material from Jiangxi, China. The male parent was selected in New Zealand from seedling plants raised from an introduction of seed from China in 1989. Both parents are unpatented.

This new variety was created during the course of a planned plant-breeding program, which was initiated during 1987 in Auckland, New Zealand. The cross was made on Nov. 24, 1994 in Te Puke, New Zealand. Seeds were sown in the winter of 1995 and 64 seedlings from this cross were planted out in the field at Te Puke in August 1996. The selection ‘Hort51-1785’ first flowered in November 1997 and fruit was first assessed in May 1998. Selection ‘Hort51-1785’ was grafted in 1998 onto four existing kiwifruit rootstocks in a clonal selection trial plot using graftwood from the original seedling plant.

The new variety can be asexually reproduced as cuttings or by grafting or budding on to seedling or cutting-grown rootstocks of A. deliciosa or A. chinensis. Trial plantings of grafted plants established at the Te Puke, Nelson and Kerikeri Research Centres in 1998 have shown that the unique combination of characters come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding asexual propagations.

‘Hort51-1785’ flowers at least two weeks later than Hort16A and requires specific tetraploid males to ensure adequate pollination.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows typical fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’ on the vine.

FIG. 2 shows typical fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’ in side profile.

FIG. 3 shows a stem end view of fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’.

FIG. 4 shows a stylar end view of fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’.

FIG. 5 shows fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’ in cross section.

FIG. 6 shows flowers of ‘Hort51-1785’.

FIG. 7 shows the leaf of ‘Hort51-1785’.

Photographs of fruit were taken at the normal harvest date. Fruit skin color may vary depending upon extent of exposure to direct sunlight.

 DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new tetraploid kiwifruit variety ‘Hort51-1785’ is pistillate (female), and produces imperfect flowers, i.e. the flowers produce only sterile pollen and require a pollinizer to set fruit.

TABLE OF CHARACTERISTICS

Horticultural terminology is used in accordance with revised UPOV guidelines for kiwi. All dimensions are in millimeters, weights in grams (unless otherwise stated). Color references are in accord with the R.H.S. Colour Chart, the Royal Horticultural Society, London, 1966.

‘Hort51-1785’ PLANT (Measurements from samples of 10, unless stated) Plant: sex expression female (flowers imperfect) Plant: ploidy tetraploid (2n = 2x = 116) Plant: vigour medium Young shoot: hairs present Young shoot: density of hairs medium Young shoot: type of hairs tomentose Young shoot: anthocyanin color- absent or very weak ation of growing tip Young shoot: anthocyanin color- absent or very weak ation of leaf axil STEM Stem: coloration of leaf axil absent or very weak Stem: diameter medium (mean 9.5 mm, range 7.6-10.5 mm at mid point1) Stem: length 1.2-1.8 m Stem: dormant bud diameter large (mean 6.3 mm, range 5.00- 7.16 mm) Stem: color on upper side of shoot greyish-brown (near 177A to 199A) Stem: character of bark smooth Stem: hairs absent Stem: conspicuousness of lenticels conspicuous Stem: number of lenticels/cm2 mean 3.32/cm2 (range bark area 1.8-5.02/cm2) Stem: color of lenticels brown, near 166C Stem: size of lenticels - length mean 3.27 mm, range 1.54-4.53 mm Stem: size of lenticels - maximum mean 1.34 mm, range 0.82-2.03 width mm Stem: size of bud support medium Stem: visibility of bud (dormant visible canes) Stem: number of hairs visible on many bud (dormant canes) LEAF (Mature) Leaf: general shape of blade very broadly ovate Leaf: length 124 mm Leaf: width 151 mm Leaf: petiole length 103 mm Leaf: shape of tip of blade acute Leaf: shape of base of blade cordate Leaf: arrangement of leaf bases overlapping Leaf: puckering/blistering on upper medium side of blade Leaf: margin ciliate Leaf: green color of upper side of medium green, near 147A blade Leaf: glossiness of upper surface of medium blade Leaf: color of lower side of blade light green, near 148B Leaf: glaucosity (lower side of absent blade) Leaf: hairs on petiole present Leaf: density of hairs on petiole medium Leaf: anthocyanin coloration on medium upper side of petiole FLOWER Inflorescence: predominant number three of flowers Flower: pedicel hairs: present Flower: pedicel length of hairs very short Flower: pedicel length mean 27.09 mm Flower: number of sepals six or seven Flower: color of sepals green, near 148D Flower: length of sepals mean 11.45 mm, range 8.86- 12.37 mm Flower: diameter of sepals mean 9.09 mm, range 8.32-9.67 Flower: diameter (terminal or king 51 mm (mean of 7 flowers) flower when fully open) Flower: mean number of petals per 6 flower Flower: length of petals mean 28.77 mm, range 27.0-31.6 mm Flower: width of petals mean 23.89 mm, range 22.4-26.0 Flower: ratio petal length/width 1.21 Flower: arrangement of petals overlapping Flower: petal shoulder present Flower: primary color of petals white, near 155B (when fully open) Flower: type of coloration of petals bi-coloured, green at base Flower: secondary color of base green, near 144D of petals Flower: filament color white, near 157A Flower: anther color yellow, near 16C Flower: attitude of styles semi-erect Flower: curvature of styles absent Flower: color of styles white, near 155D Flower: amount of hair on ovary dense Flower: colour of ovary white near 157B FRUIT Fruit: weight mean 99 g Fruit: length 66 mm Fruit: width (max) 61 mm Fruit: width (min) 58 mm Fruit: core diameter (max) 12.4 mm Fruit: core diameter (min) 7.8 mm Fruit: locule number 30 Fruit: peduncle length 35 mm Fruit: peduncle width 3.9 mm Fruit: general shape globose Fruit: cross section at median circular Fruit: general shape of stylar end flat Fruit: shape of shoulder on stalk squared end Fruit: presence of calyx ring present Fruit: expression of calyx ring strongly expressed Fruit: skin color at harvest (fruit medium brown, near 199B still hard) Fruit: skin colour change during absent ripening Fruit: skin color at maturity for medium brown, near 199B consumption Fruit: lenticel color at maturity near 164C Fruit: hairs present Fruit: density of hairs sparse Fruit: type of hairs pubescent Fruit: hair length short Fruit: concentration of hairs uniform Fruit: adherence of hairs to skin weak (when rubbed) Fruit: core diameter (at largest dia- small (approximately 12.4 mm) meter) Fruit: core shape (in cross section) transverse elliptic Fruit: core woody spike weak Fruit: prominence of core woody small spike Fruit: outer pericarp color at yellow, near 162D maturity for consumption Fruit: inner pericarp col. (locules) yellow, near 162B at mat. for consumption Fruit: core color at maturity pale yellow, near 14D Fruit: sweetness (Brix level) at 13.8% (range 11.4-16.2%) maturity for consumption Fruit: vitamin C content (45 fruit 133 mg/100 g fresh weight sample) (range 123-140 mg/100 g fresh weight) mean of 5 plants, 3 values, per plant. Fruit: seed colour at maturity (in blackish-brown, near 200A flesh) Fruit: seed colour when dry dark brown, near 200C Fruit: average seed number per mean 514, range 465-596 fruit Fruit: seed length mean 2.45 mm Fruit: seed maximum diameter mean 1.71 mm EVENTS Time of vegetative budbreak medium (mid September) Time of beginning of flowering 8 Nov. (2004) Time of maturity for harvest (at last week of May (Brix 10%) under nominated Brix level) New Zealand growing conditions 1Measured in the middle of the cane i.e. halfway down the full length and midway between two buds.

Observations were made on plants growing at Te Puke, New Zealand. These plants had been grafted on to seedling kiwifruit rootstocks.

  • Rootstocks: ‘Hort51-1785’ vines can be grown on the same rootstocks as ‘Hort16A’. Rootstocks currently being used in New Zealand include A. deliciosa and A. chinensis seedlings, ‘Hayward’ (not patented) and ‘Kaimai’ (not patented) rooted cuttings.
  • Cropping: Young vines of ‘Hort51-1785’ crop heavily when young, and must be thinned directly after fruit set to reduce crop loads and to ensure fruit size is not compromised by over cropping. Vines of ‘Hort51-1785’ begin to bear fruit in their second year from graft and can be expected to reach full capacity at about 5 years.
  • Storage life: The storage life of ‘Hort51-1785’ fruit is 20 weeks at 0° C., if stored in unventilated containers.
  • Pest and disease resistance/susceptibility: Unsprayed fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’ is slightly more susceptible to Greedy Scale infestation, but less damaged by Leaf Roller caterpillar compared to ‘Hayward’. Flowers of ‘Hort51-1785’ are more susceptible to fungal Sclerotinia infection during wet weather, possibly due to the higher flower density (three flowers per inflorescence) compared to ‘Hayward’ (single flowers).

OTHER DATA

  • Fruit size: Date gathered from harvesting all fruit, from 6 vines, in May 2004.

Mean fruit 99.2 g maximum: 138 g minimum: 73 g weight: Mean fruit 332 maximum: 1084 minimum: 102 number: Mean yield: 38.8 kg maximum: 14.1 kg minimum: 81.4 kg

FRUIT FLESH AND SKIN COLOR MEASUREMENT

Color chart: R.H.S. Colour Chart, The Royal Horticultural Society, London, 1966.

Fruit: core color at harvest 150C to 150D Fruit: seed color (in flesh) 200A Fruit: seed colour (dry seed) 200C Fruit: skin color at maturity 199B Leaf: color of upper side (in mature leaf after petal fall) 147A Leaf: color of lower side (in mature leaf after petal fall) 148B Plant stem: color on exposed side 177A to 199A

COMPARISON TO CLOSEST CULTIVAR

The distinctive characteristics of this new kiwifruit variety, described in detail below, were observed in 2005 at Te Puke, New Zealand. The age of the plants was 6 years from grafting onto seedling rootstocks.

Comparison with similar varieties ‘Hort16A’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,066) and ‘KI 89’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,497) shows that ‘Hort51-1785’ may be distinguished as follows in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Comparison with similar varieties Color references are in accord with the RHS Colour Chart, the Royal Hort- icultural Society, London, 1966. Observations made under New Zealand growing conditions. Character- istic ‘Hort51-1785’ ‘Hort16A’ ‘KI 89’ Time of full late November mid October early November bloom Fruit: Color mid-brown, near yellow-brown, reddish-brown, near of skin 199B near 164B/164C 199A/161A Fruit: mean 99 g 91 g 103.4 weight Fruit: Core very small small medium diameter (approximately 12.4 (approximately (approximately 15.3 (maximum) mm) 13.08 mm) mm) Fruit: globose ovoid cylindrical General shape Fruit: shape rounded protruding slightly depressed at stylar end Fruit: pres- present not present not present ence of internal stylar cavity Fruit: Flesh golden yellow, near yellow, near yellow-green, near color (ripe) 162D 12C/12B 145C/154D Fruit: Pres- present not present not present ence of lenticels on skin Fruit: Visi- conspicuous not obvious not obvious bility of lenticels on skin Fruit: Mean 12.5-14% 14-19% 10.8-12.4% soluble sol- ids content when ripe Mean dry 17.8% 18.3% 15.5-17.2% matter at harvest Mean flesh 6.8 Kgf 4.6 Kgf 3.7 Kgf firmness at harvest

Fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’ is globose in shape with a rounded stylar end compared with the ovoid shape and protruding stylar beak of ‘Hort16A’. The flesh of ‘Hort51-1785’ is golden yellow when ripe compared to the lighter yellow flesh of ‘Hort16A’ and the yellow-green flesh of ‘KI 89’. The skin of ‘Hort51-1785’ is a pale mid-brown color, whereas the skin of ‘Hort16A’ is yellow-brown and that of ‘KI 89’ is reddish-brown. The fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’ has conspicuous, raised lenticels on the skin, ‘Hort16A’ and ‘KI 89’ do not have raised lenticels.

The fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’ is generally larger sized, has lower brix, lower dry matter content, and higher flesh firmness at harvest than ‘Hort16A’. The fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’ is generally shorter but of greater diameter than fruit of either ‘Hort16A’ or ‘KI 89’.

TABLE 2 Comparison with female parent, ‘Jing Feng’ Colour references are in accord with the RHS Colour Chart, the Royal Horticultural Society, London, 1966. Observations made under New Zealand growing conditions. Characteristic ‘Hort51-1785’ ‘Jing Feng’ Time of full bloom late November late November Fruit: color of skin mid-brown, near 199B light brown, near 165B Fruit: core diameter 12.4 mm 14.1 mm Fruit: general shape globose ellipsoidal Fruit: ratio of fruit 0.92 0.78 maximum width/fruit length Fruit: mean weight 99 g 103 g Fruit: shape at stylar rounded flat end Fruit: presence of present not present stylar cavity Fruit: flesh color golden yellow near 162D golden yellow, near 163D Fruit: locule color near 162B near 164B Presence of lenticels present not present on fruit skin Visibility of lenticels on conspicuous not obvious fruit skin Mean soluble solids 12.5-14% 11.6-14.6% content of ripe fruit Mean dry matter at 17.8% 16.6% harvest Mean firmness at 6.8 Kgf 5.5 Kgf harvest

The most striking difference between ‘Hort51-1785’ and the female parent ‘Jing Feng’ is that of fruit shape. ‘Hort51-1785’ has globose-shaped fruit with a ratio of maximum width/fruit length of 0.92 whereas ‘Jing Feng’ fruit is ellipsoidal in shape with a ratio of maximum width/fruit length of 0.78. ‘Hort51-1785’ fruit have a small internal cavity, average length 10.2 mm, at the stylar end, whereas ‘Jing Feng’ fruit has no cavity.

Claims

1. A new and distinct kiwi plant of the species A. chinensis substantially as herein illustrated and described.

Patent History
Patent number: PP17774
Type: Grant
Filed: May 5, 2005
Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
Patent Publication Number: 20060253946
Assignee: The Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand Limited (Auckland)
Inventor: Russell George Lowe (Te Puke)
Primary Examiner: Anne Marie Grunberg
Assistant Examiner: S. B. McCormick-Ewoldt
Attorney: Greenlee Winner and Sullivan PC
Application Number: 11/122,613
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: Fruit (including Ornamental Variety) (PLT/156)
International Classification: A01H 5/00 (20060101);