Latin name of the genus and species: Fragaria x ananassa.
Varietal denomination: ‘Yakima’.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a new and distinct short-day strawberry variety designated as ‘Yakima’ (a.k.a. ‘109733’).
‘Yakima’ (a.k.a. ‘109733’) is the result of a controlled-cross between a female parent cultivar designated (‘Aida’, a.k.a. ‘106734’,) an unpatented, proprietary strawberry plant variety made by the inventor and a male parent cultivar designated ‘Lili’ (a.k.a. ‘101983’ or ‘Lily’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,849) and was first fruited in Watsonville, Calif. growing fields. Following selection and during testing, the plant was originally designated ‘109733’ and subsequently named ‘Yakima’.
The new variety was asexually reproduced via runners (stolons) by the inventor at Watsonville, Calif. Asexual propagules from the original source have been tested in Watsonville growing fields and to a limited extent, grower fields in high elevation. The properties of this variety were found to be transmissible by such asexual reproduction. This cultivar is stable and reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying color photographs depict various characteristics of the cultivar as nearly true as possible to make color reproductions.
FIG. 1 shows ‘Yakima’ fruit.
FIG. 2 shows ‘Yakima’ fruit.
FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B show ‘Yakima’ strawberry plants with fruit.
FIG. 4 shows flowers of ‘Yakima’ strawberry plant variety.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a new and distinctive strawberry cultivar designated as ‘Yakima’. This cultivar is primarily adapted to the climate and growing conditions of the central coast of California. This region provides the necessary temperatures required for it to produce a strong vigorous plant and to remain in fruit production from March through October. The nearby Pacific Ocean provides the needed humidity and moderate day temperatures and evening chilling to maintain fruit quality for the production months.
‘Yakima’ (a.k.a. ‘109733’)
The following traits and photographs in combination distinguish the strawberry variety ‘Yakima’ from known strawberry varieties. In addition, the new cultivar was confirmed to be a unique strawberry germplasm when tested against the California Seed & Plant Lab, Inc. (Elverta, Calif.) database using Short Sequence Repeats (SSRs). Plants for the botanical measurements in the present application were grown as annuals. Any color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The botanical measurements listed in Table 1 were made and recorded during the month of June.
‘Yakima’ is distinguished from its paternal parent by the percent of marketable fruit (Table 2), for ‘Yakima’ percent marketable fruit is twenty percentile points greater than its paternal parent ‘Lili’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,849). ‘Yakima’ is distinguished from its maternal parent ‘Aida’ by the shape of its fruit. The fruit of ‘Yakima’ is mostly conical, different from the longer somewhat flat wedge shape of the fruit of its parent ‘Aida’. ‘Yakima’ is similar to the strawberry plant named ‘Monterey’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,767), but possesses several distinguishing traits from Monterey. ‘Yakima’ is distinguished from ‘Monterey’ by the thicker canopy of ‘Yakima’ and dark green foliage color of ‘Yakima’.
TABLE 1
Characteristic
Type Characteristic Yakima
General Plant Habit annual
Plant Growth Habit upright
Day length short-day
Planting season Fall
Height 35 cm
Width 36 cm
Density of foliage medium
Plant vigor high
Freezing Quality moderate
Rain/weather tolerance moderate to high
Harvest Ease moderate
Leaf Leaf Shape concave
Terminal leaflet width 90 mm
Terminal leaflet length 100 mm
Terminal leaflet length/width 1.11
ratio
Teeth per terminal leaflet 17 to 19
Shape of terminal leaflet base rounded
Shape of terminal leaflet in concave to straight
cross-section
Shape of terminal leaflet serrate to crenate
margin
Color of upper side of leaflet RHS 136A
Color of lower side of leaflet RHS 139C
Leaf blistering weak
Leaf glossiness medium
Leaf variegation absent
Number of leaflets 3 leaflets per leaf
Leaf length 133 mm
Leaf width 151 mm
Terminal Leaflet margin revolute
Terminal Leaflet shape Orbicular
Terminal Leaflet shape of apex Rounded
Limbs Petiole length 25.5 cm
Petiole diameter 3.18 to 4.26 mm
Petiole pubescence medium
Petiole pose of hairs horizontal
Petiole color RHS 145A
Petiolule length 1.0 to 1.5 cm
Petiolule diameter 2.08 to 2.70 mm
Stipule length 3.5 cm
Stipule width 0.9 to 1.0 cm
Stipule pubescence dense
Stipule anthocyanin absent
Stipule color (color code) RHS 145C
Pedicel color (color code) RHS 145A
Attitude of hairs on peduncle horizontal to slightly
and pedicel upwards
Peduncle length 19.5 cm
Pedicel length 13.8 cm
Inflorescence Inflorescence position relative above
to foliage
Flower arrangement of petals touching
Flower size medium
Flower diameter 2.28 cm
Petal shape orbicular
Petal apex rounded
Petal margin entire
Petal base shape concave
Petal length 1.17 cm
Petal width 1.15 cm
Petal length/width ratio 1.02
Petal number per flower 5 to 7
Number of flowers 16 to 36
Upper Petal color RHS 155D
Lower Petal color RHS 155D
Floral Calyx Diameter 4.08 cm
Corolla diameter 2.28 cm
Calyx diameter relative to larger
corolla
Inner calyx Outer calyx and inner
calyx are of equal size
Sepal shape elliptical
Sepal apex shape acute
Sepal margin entire
Sepal length 1.93 cm
Sepal width 0.61 cm
Sepal number per flower 12
Upper Sepal color RHS 137A
Lower Sepal color RHS 137C
Receptacle color RHS 4A
Fertility not tested
Time of flowering (50% of May
plants in bloom)
Stigma shape rounded
Stigma color RHS 4A
Style length 5 mm
Style color RHS 4A
Ovary color RHS 138D
Stamen number 25
Stamen length 2.3 mm
Anther shape dorsifixed
Anther shape 1.39 mm
Anther color RHS 6A
Pollen amount scarce to moderate
Pollen color RHS 163B
Filament color RHS 145C
Filament length 1.2 to 2.8 mm
Fruit Fruiting truss length 6 to 17 cm
Fruiting truss diameter 1.4 mm
Number of fruit per truss 1 to 5
Fruit length 5.3 cm
Fruit width 4.3 cm
Fruit skin color RHS 45A
Fruit flesh color excluding RHS 44A
core
Fruit core color RHS 41B
Fruit length/width ratio 1.23
Fruit weight 33 g
Relative fruit size medium to large
Predominant fruit shape long conic and long
wedge
Shape difference between No shape difference
primary & secondary fruits
Width of band without of narrow
achenes
Fruit glossiness strong
Position of achenes below surface
Achene color RHS 151D
Achenes per fruit 340
Achene weight 0.238 g
Position of calyx even
Fruit Calyx Diameter 5.5 cm
Level of adherence of calyx medium
Color of calyx RHS 137C
Pose of calyx segments reflexed
Size of calyx in relation same
to fruit
Firmness of flesh medium to firm
Evenness of flesh color nearly even
Fruit hollow length 2.3 cm
Fruit hollow width 1.4 cm
Fruit hollow length/width ratio 1.64
Hollow center absent to medium
Sweetness 7 to 14 Brix
pH 3.33
Texture when tasted fine to medium
Time of flowering April through August
Time of fruit ripening May
Harvest maturity (50% of June
plants with ripe fruit)
Type of bearing short-day
Grams of fruit per plant June: 721 g
Yield (lb per acre) June: 31,791 lb/acre
Firmness medium to firm
Surface Texture smooth
Appearance Score (rating 4
scale 1 to 5; 5 = best)
Storage longevity 5 to 10 days
Cull rate: 1% Usable <10%
Stolon Stolon number 1 to 3
Stolon length from crown to 22.4 cm
first daughter
Pubescence density dense
Intensity of anthocyanin absent
coloration
Stolon color RHS N144D
Disease Plant/fruit disease resistant to Fusarium
Resistance wilt
Pest resistance/susceptibility resistant to Fusarium
oxysporum f. sp.
fragariae;
susceptible to
Colletotrichum
acutatum
Other Plant hardness zone USDA hardiness
characteristics zone 9b
Shipping quality and fruit The fruit of the Yakima
market use strawberry plant is
suitable for shipping
and merchandising
for distant commercial
markets.
Short-day designation Differentiation of new
florescence is required
for a prior period
of vernalization.
(short-day genotype)
TABLE 2
Strawberry fruit summary statistic means of yield, percent marketable,
flavor, firmness, figure and size during
weeks 15 to 37 over years; Watsonville, California.
Mean Mean Mean fruit Mean Mean grams
fruit fruit height/width hardness in per clone
height width (fHeight/ Newtons (N) (μ grams/
Variety (fHeight) (fWidth) fWidth) (μ hardness) clone)
Yakima 51.0304 40.2999 1.26626 8.79292 1622
Lili 40.2262 35.8540 1.12194 8.78205 1304
Mean Mean skin-
Mean percent of resistance- Mean
Kilos/ market- Mean to-abrasion categorical
acre able fruit size categorical flavor
(μ kilos/ fruit (μ % in Grams (μ rating rating
Variety acre) Usable) frtSizeGrms) (μ skin-r) (μ flavor)
Yakima 32,443 0.905 31.39 2.13004 2.84304
Lili 26,089 0.797 29.95 2.09745 3.05084
