Strawberry plant named ‘Driscoll Bonaire’
This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry named ‘Driscoll Bonaire’. The variety is similar to the varieties ‘Driscoll Malibu’ and ‘Driscoll Osceola.’ The variety is distinguished from ‘Driscoll Malibu’ and ‘Driscoll Osceola,’ in particular, by its longer petiole length and wider petiole diameter, longer sepal length and greater sepal width, longer fruit length, greater berry weight and longer harvest interval.
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Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: The variety is botanically identified as Fragaria×ananassa.
Variety denomination: The strawberry variety denomination is ‘Driscoll Bonaire’.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe new variety originated as a result of a controlled cross between female cultivar ‘Driscoll Marathon’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,817) and male cultivar ‘Driscoll Madeira’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,109) in an ongoing breeding program, and was discovered as a seedling in Hillsborough County, Fla. in December 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 Hillsborough County, Fla., where the variety was identified and selected for further evaluation. ‘Driscoll Bonaire’ was subsequently asexually propagated and underwent further testing in Hillsborough County, Fla. for 5 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.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry named ‘Driscoll Bonaire.’ 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.
COMPARISON TO SIMILAR VARIETIESThe varieties which we believe to be similar to ‘Driscoll Bonaire’ from those known to us are ‘Driscoll Malibu’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,070) and ‘Driscoll Osceola’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No 15,752). There are several characteristics of the new variety that are different from, or not possessed by ‘Driscoll Malibu’ and ‘Driscoll Osceola’. For example, the new variety has a longer petiole length and wider petiole diameter, longer sepal length and greater sepal width, longer fruit length, greater berry weight and longer harvest interval. Additional characteristics of Driscoll Bonaire include an orbicular petal shape, a rounded petal apex and an obtuse petal base. The typical and observed petal number of ‘Driscoll Bonaire’ is five and the petal margin is entire. The typical and observed sepal number of ‘Driscoll Bonaire’ is ten. ‘Driscoll Bonaire’ also has a laceolate sepal shape, an acute sepal apex and a serrate sepal margin. ‘Driscoll Bonaire’ also has a typical and observed broadly orbicular leaflet shape and a round leaflet apex. The typical and observed diameter of the fruiting truss of ‘Driscoll Bonaire’ is 2.9 and is pale green in color (RHS, 142A). The average number of strawberries on the fruiting truss of ‘Driscoll Bonaire’ is one. Additionally, the typical and observed length and width of the hollow center of ‘Driscoll Bonaire’ is 21.7 mm and 7.9 mm respectively. ‘Driscoll Bonaire’ has a medium sweetness with an average brix of 9.2 and medium acidity with an average brix to acid ratio of 12.18:1.
‘Driscoll Bonaire’ is distinguished from its reference varieties, ‘Driscoll Malibu’ and ‘Driscoll Osceola’ as indicated in Tables 1-4.
The parents, ‘Driscoll Marathon’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,817) and ‘Driscoll Madeira’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,109), were not available for side by side comparison with ‘Driscoll Bonaire’. ‘Driscoll Bonaire’ differs from ‘Driscoll Marathon’ by being a less vigorous plant, having much greater flesh firmness and greatly improved skin strength. ‘Driscoll Bonaire’ differs from ‘Driscoll Madeira’ by having a much glossier skin and a brighter red color where ‘Driscoll Madeira’ was a darker red color.
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 September and October, 2004 and held in cold storage until planting in Hillsborough County, Fla. in October, 2004. Plants were grown in raised beds of soil under conditions typical of commercial strawberry production in Hillsborough County, Fla. Fruits were harvested twice weekly from November, 2004 to April, 2005 for yield determination. Observations of ‘Driscoll Bonaire’, ‘Driscoll Malibu’, and ‘Driscoll Osceola’ were made in side by side comparison in January, 2005. 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.
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.
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 four 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 Bonaire’ compared with characteristics of ‘Driscoll Malibu’ and ‘Driscoll Osceola’. Table 2 provides additional information of the plant and fruit characteristics of the new variety ‘Driscoll Bonaire’ compared with characteristics of the varieties ‘Driscoll Malibu’ and ‘Driscoll Osceola’. Table 3 provides reactions of the new variety to stresses, pests and diseases compared with reactions of the varieties ‘Driscoll Malibu’ and ‘Driscoll Osceola’. Table 4 provides isozyme characteristics of the new variety as compared to that of the varieties ‘Driscoll Malibu’ and ‘Driscoll Osceola’.
In addition to the morphological description above, the new cultivar ‘Driscoll Bonaire’ 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 Bonaire’, ‘Driscoll Malibu’ and ‘Driscoll Osceola’ 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 4, 2005
Date of Patent: Sep 18, 2007
Patent Publication Number: 20070079407
Assignee:
Inventor: Kristie L. Gilford (Dover, FL)
Primary Examiner: Kent Bell
Attorney: Jones Day
Application Number: 11/244,118