Blueberry plant named ‘DrisBlueThree’

Abstract

This invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of blueberry plant primarily characterized by medium-large berries with strong sweetness, weak acidity, and a nearly spherical berry shape and berries that have green flesh, is disclosed.

Description

Genus and species: Vaccinium corymbosum.

Variety denomination: ‘DrisBlueThree’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention relates to a new and distinct blueberry cultivar designated ‘DrisBlueThree’ and botanically known as Vaccinium corymbosum. This new blueberry cultivar was discovered in Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, Calif. in September 2000 as a result of a hybridization between the female parent, ‘FL98-11’ an unpatented variety and the male parent, ‘FL89-152’ an unpatented variety. The female and male parents are no longer available for comparison with the instant plant.

The original seedling of the new cultivar was asexually propagated at a nursery in Watsonville, Monterey, Calif. ‘DrisBlueThree’ was subsequently asexually propagated and underwent further testing at a nursery in Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, Calif. for seven years. ‘DrisBlueThree’ has been asexually propagated via softwood cuttings. The present invention has been found to be stable and reproduce true to type through successive asexual propagations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of this new cultivar when grown under normal horticultural practices in Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, Calif.

• • 1. Medium-large berries with strong sweetness;
  • 2. Weak acidity and a nearly spherical berry shape; and
  • 3. Berries that have green flesh.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying color photographs show typical specimens of the new cultivar at various stages of development as nearly true as it is possible to make in color reproductions. The photographs are of plants that are 7 years old.

FIG. 1 shows a leaf cluster.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the upper surface of the leaves.

FIG. 3 shows the mature flowers.

FIG. 4 shows the whole fruit and a longitudinal-section of the fruit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following description of ‘DrisBlueThree’ is based on observations taken from the 2007 growing season in Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, Calif., where the age of the ‘DrisBlueThree’ plants was 7 years, while the age of the O'Neal plants were 12 years old. All descriptions are in accordance with UPOV terminology. 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. ‘DrisBlueThree’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. Color terminology follows The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, London (R.H.S.) (2001).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Table 1 shows plant characteristics of the new variety compared with plant characteristics of blueberry plant ‘O'Neal’ (unpatented). Table 1 includes plant, canopy and cane characteristics.

TABLE 1
Characteristic	‘DrisBlueThree’	‘O'Neal’
Plant:
Vigor	Strong	Low
Growth habit	Strongly erect shrub	Bushy
Chilling requirement	Low	Medium
Propagation	Softwood cuttings	Softwood
		cuttings
Age	7 years	12 years
Canopy:
Bush height (cm)	126	134
Canopy width (cm)	109	124
Height/Width ratio	1.2	1.1
Canes:
Age at maturity (years)	3 years	3 years
Mature cane texture	Rough	Rough
Mature cane diameter (cm)	0.864 cm	.734
Mature cane length (cm)	83 cm	69.0
Mature cane color	RHS 146C	RHS 138A
	(yellow-green)	(green)
Cane renewal	Strong	Weak

Table 2 shows plant characteristics of the new variety compared with plant characteristics of blueberry plant ‘O'Neal’ (unpatented). Table 2 includes bud, calyx, corolla, flower and pedicel characteristics. Where “n/a” appears for a characteristic, it indicates a characteristic is not available.

TABLE 2
Characteristic	‘DrisBlueThree’	‘O'Neal’
Bud:
Time of bud break	Early	Early
Flowers per bud	7	6
Calyx:
Diameter at anthesis (cm)	0.52	0.658
Lobe count	5	5
Color	RHS 138B	RHS 145C (light
	(medium green)	yellow-green)
Corolla:
Petals, general	Fused into a corolla	Fused into a corolla
	with 5 lobes	with 5 lobes
Length (cm)	0.936	1.014
Diameter (cm)	0.614	0.886
Aperature diameter (cm)	0.316	0.334
Mature color	RHS 157B (white)	RHS 155A (white)
Flower:
Type	Perfect hypogynous	Perfect hypogynous
	(inferior ovary);	(inferior ovary);
	stamens attached at	stamens attached at
	base of fused corolla	base of fused
	tube	corolla tube
Shape	Urceolate	Urceolate
Fragrance	Faint	Very faint
Size	Small	Medium
50% anthesis (full bloom)	March 15th	n/a
1% bloom	Early	Early
Pedicel:
Color	RHS N144C	RHS 144D
	(yellow-green)	(light yellow-green)
Length (cm)	0.892	0.478

Table 3 shows plant characteristics of the new variety compared with plant characteristics of blueberry plant ‘O'Neal’ (unpatented). Table 3 includes leaf and shoot characteristics.

TABLE 3
Characteristic	‘DrisBlueThree’	‘O'Neal’
Leaves:
Arrangement	Alternate	Alternate
Shape	Simple and elliptic	Simple and broadly
		elliptic to slightly ovate
Apex	Broadly acuminate	Broadly acute
Base	Broadly acute	Broadly acute to slightly
		cuneate
Margin	Entire	Entire
Pubescence	Glabrous	Glabrous
(both surfaces)
Length (cm)	8.56	0.662
Width (cm)	3.82	0.344
Length/width ratio	2.2	1.9
Color, abaxial	RHS 191B	RHS 138 (green)
	(greyed-green)
Color, adaxial	RHS 139A (green)	RHS 137A (green)
Venation	Reticulate	Reticulate
Petiole:
Length (cm)	0.41	0.40
Color	RHS 145B	RHS N144D
	(yellow-green)	(yellow-green)
Shoots:
Internode length (cm)	1.77	1.634

Table 4 shows plant characteristics of the new variety compared with plant characteristics of blueberry plant ‘O'Neal’ (unpatented). Table 4 includes berry, skin, peduncle and seed characteristics.

TABLE 4
Characteristic	‘DrisBlueThree’	‘O'Neal’
Berry:
Shape	Nearly spherical	Slightly oblate
		sphere
Size	Medium	Medium
Weight (g)	1.5	1.39
Height	1.444	1.284
(cm, pedicel scar to calyx)
Diameter	1.594	1.508
(cm at equator)
Height/diameter ratio	0.91	0.85
Firmness	Very firm	Medium firm
Sweetness	Strong	Strong
Acidity	Weak	Mild
Season/timing (25% ripe)	Early season	Early season
Season/timing (50% ripe)	May 30th	June 14th
Pedicel scar diameter (cm)	0.142	0.16
Skin:
Bloom deposition	Heavy	Medium
Mature color with bloom	RHS 98D (blue)	RHS 98C
		(violet-blue)
Mature color without bloom	RHS 103A (blue)	RHS 103A (blue)
Immature color with bloom	RHS 191B (green)	RHS 143D
		(light green)
Flesh:
Color	RHS 145C (green)	RHS 157A
		(green-white)
Seed:
Abundance	47 per fruit	27 per fruit
Color	RHS 165A	RHS 165B
	(orange-brown)	(greyed-orange)
Length (cm)	0.148	0.200
Width (cm)	0.1260	0.112
Length/width ratio	1.17	1.79

Table 5 shows plant characteristics of the new variety compared with plant characteristics of blueberry plant ‘O'Neal’ (unpatented). Table 5 includes the reproductive organs.

TABLE 5
Characteristic	‘DrisBlueThree’	‘O'Neal’
Reproductive Organs:
Pollination requirement	Believed to be self-
	fertile
Ovary color	RHS 188A	RHS 133C (green)
	(greyed-green)
Pollen color	RHS 11C (yellow)	RHS 8D
		(light yellow)
Anther color	RHS 22A (yellow-	RHS N170A
	orange)	(greyed-orange)
Style length, including	0.86 cm	0.810 cm
stigma (cm)

• Resistance to diseases and insects: Disease and insect resistance are typical of blueberry plants.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of blueberry plant as described and shown herein.