Common name: Mandarin.
Botanical classification: Citrus reticulata Blanco x Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck.
Variety denomination: ‘Mikanken16’.
BACKGROUND OF THE NEW VARIETY The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Mandarin, Citrus L., which has been given the variety denomination ‘Mikanken16’.
ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY The parent varieties are ‘95-56-25’ (male parent) (not patented in the U.S.) and ‘Mikanken4’ (female parent) (not patented in the U.S.), respectively.
The variety was developed and propagated in Uwajima, Ehime, Japan.
The variety was reproduced asexually by vegetative reproduction by top grafting one-year-old scions on rootstocks, in Uwajima, Ehime, Japan. The name of the rootstock is ‘MIYAGAWAWASE’ (not patented).
In 2004, crossing the parent varieties and collecting seeds were grown in the next year.
In 2005, 2006 seedlings are grown.
In 2007, they were grafted on top of root stock.
In 2010, the first fruit was harvested and lines were primary selected.
In 2013, plants were secondary selected.
From 2012 to 2022 growing tests for their performance.
In 2023, breeding was completed with DUS status confirmed (distinct, uniform, and stable), whereby it was confirmed that the instant tree reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction, and the variety was named ‘Mikanken16’.
Cultivation of the variety does not require special conditions or treatments.
The variety is currently mainly intended for fruit production.
SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY This new mandarin plant ‘Mikanken16’ has leave blades with no emargination at the tip, fruit with dark orange surface color (JHS color chart No. 1306), medium surface roughness, medium filling of the core, and medium to late maturity for consumption (typically April), that distinguish it notably from its female parent ‘Mikanken4’.
Also the fruit of ‘Mikanken16’ having no collar, no navel opening, and no polyembryony of seeds, as well as having medium surface roughness, medium filling of the core, and medium to late maturity for consumption (typically April), distinguishes it notably from comparative variety ‘Shiranuhi’ (not patented) and having no navel opening, and no polyembryony of seeds, as well as having dark orange surface color (JHS color chart No. 1306), medium surface roughness, and medium to late maturity for consumption (typically April), distinguishes it notably from comparative variety ‘Kiyomi’ (not patented).
Specifically, Table 1 below shows a comparison between the instant variety ‘Mikanken16’ and the female parent ‘Mikanken4’ as follows (evaluation based on averages):
TABLE 1
Comparison between ‘Mikanken16’ and ‘Mikanken4’
Female parent Present variety
‘Mikanken4’ ‘Mikanken16’
No. Characteristics States States
36 Leaf blade: emargination at tip Present Absent
99 Fruit surface: roughness Smooth Medium
109 Fruit: filling of core Absent or Medium
Very Sparse
127 Time of maturity of fruit for Late (May) Medium to
consumption Late (April)
A comparison with the male parent ‘95-56-25’ is not available because ‘95-56-25’ was an old breeding line, whose states of characteristics are unknown and for which there are no long living plant materials.
Table 2 below shows a comparison between the instant variety ‘Mikanken16’ and comparative varieties ‘Shiranuhi’ and ‘Kiyomi’ as follows (average evaluation):
TABLE 2
Comparison between ‘Mikanken16’ and
‘Shiranuhi’ and ‘Kiyomi’
Reference Reference Present
variety variety variety
‘Shiranuhi’ ‘Kiyomi’ ‘Mikanken16’
No. Characteristics States States States
87 Fruit: presence of Present Absent
collar
94 Fruit: presence of Occasion- Occasion- Absent
navel opening ally Present ally Present
97 Fruit surface: Medium Dark Orange
predominant Orange (JHS (JHS No.
color(s) No. 1605) 1306)
99 Fruit surface: Medium to Smooth to Medium
roughness Rough Medium
109 Fruit: filling of Absent or Medium
core Very Sparse
126 Seed: poly- Present Absent
embryony
127 Time of maturity Medium Medium Medium to
of fruit for (March) (March) Late (April)
consumption
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings, which are as nearly true as is reasonable possible to make in a color illustration of this type:
FIG. 1 is a color photograph showing a general view of an illustrative mandarin tree of the variety named ‘Mikanken16’ bearing fruits.
FIG. 2 is a color photograph showing flowers of ‘Mikanken16’.
FIG. 3 is a color photograph showing leaves of ‘Mikanken16’, together with leaves of comparative varieties ‘Kiyomi’, and ‘Shiranuhi’.
FIG. 4 is a color photograph showing fruits of ‘Mikanken16’.
FIG. 5 is a color photograph showing leaves of ‘Mikanken16’, together with leaves of female parent ‘Mikanken4’, illustrating the difference between the leaf blades, in that the leave blades of ‘Mikanken16’ have absent emargination at the tip instead of present emargination at the tip for ‘Mikanken4’.
FIG. 6 is a color photograph showing fruits of ‘Mikanken16’, together with fruits of comparative variety ‘Kiyomi’, illustrating the difference between the fruit surface predominant colors, in that the fruit surface predominant color of ‘Mikanken16’ is dark orange (JHS color chart No. 1306) instead of medium orange (JHS color chart No. 1605) for ‘Kiyomi’, and the difference between the fruit surface roughnesses, in that the fruit surface roughness of ‘Mikanken16’ is medium instead of smooth to medium for the fruit of ‘Kiyomi’.
FIG. 7 is a color photograph showing the transverse section of a fruit of ‘Mikanken16’ together with a fruit of female parent ‘Mikanken4’, illustrating the difference between the filling of the core, in that the fruit of ‘Mikanken16’ has medium filling of the core, instead of absent or very sparse filling of the core for the fruit of ‘Mikanken4’.
Due to chemical and/or digital development, processing and printing, the plants or portions of plants depicted in the photographs may or may not be precisely accurate, when compared to the actual botanical specimens.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Table 3 shows the botanical description of the ‘Mikanken16’ plants evaluated in 2022 (including the comparison with the reference plants ‘KIYOMI’ and ‘SHIRANUI’). Values as provided are averages. The ages of the trees evaluated was 6 years, and the location of the trees evaluated was in Uwajima, Ehime, Japan.
The ‘Mikanken16’ plants shown on the photographs were grown at Uwajima, Ehime, Japan. The plants were 3-year grown trees after top grafting. The tree was photographed on Dec. 7, 2016, the flowers were photographed on May 7, 2016, the mature leaves photographed on Jul. 26, 2016 and the fruits were photographed on Mar. 23, 2017.
Colors are given according to the J.H.S. (Japan Horticultural Society) Color Chart.
BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION TABLE 3
Botanical description of ‘Mikanken16’
No. Characteristics States Values
1 Ploidy Diploid
2 Tree: growth habit Spreading
3 Tree's vigor Strong
4 Tree's density of canopy Medium
5 Tree's mature height 2.75 m
6 Tree's mature spread 2.95 m
7 Tree's trunk diameter at a 52.3 mm
specified height above ground at 10 cm
above grafting
area
8 Tree's bark texture Rough
9 Tree's bark color Green brown JHS color
chart No. 2509
10 Branch length 12.6 cm
11 Branch diameter 2.8 mm
12 Branch crotch angle 50°
13 Branch bark texture Smooth
14 Branch bark color Dark yellow JHS color
green chart No.3508
15 Tree: density of spines Intermediate
16 Number of spines 2.1
17 Total leaf bearing nodes 6.5
18 Location of spines On branches
19 Length of spines 1.7 mm
20 Spine diameter 0.5 mm
21 Spine shape conical
22 Spine color Dark yellow JHS color
green chart No. 3508
23 Leaf type Individual
leaf
24 Leaf blade: length (apical leaflet Medium 7.3 cm
in case of compound leaf)
25 Leaf blade: width (apical leaflet Medium 4.3 cm
in case of compound leaf)
26 Leaf blade: ratio length/width Very small 1.7
(apical leaflet in case of com-
pound leaf)
27 Leaf blade: shape in cross section Intermediate:
(apical leaflet in case of com- curved
pound leaf) inwards
28 Leaf blade: twisting Intermediate
29 Leaf blade: blistering Absent or
Weak
30 Leaf blade: color Medium JHS color
green chart No.3509
31 Leaf or leaflet: color of upper Dark yellow JHS color
leaf surface green chart No.3509
32 Leaf or leaflet: color lower Dark yellow JHS color
leaf surface green chart No.3507
33 Leaf blade: undulation of margin Absent or
Weak
34 Leaf blade: incisions of margin Crenate
35 Leaf blade: shape of apex Acute
36 Leaf blade: emargination at tip Absent
37 Single or compound leaves? Single leaf
38 Base descriptor of leaf and/or Acute
leaflet
39 Texture of top surface of leaf Smooth
and/or leaflet
40 Texture of bottom surface of Smooth
leaf and/or leaflet
41 Petiole: length Medium 1.9 cm
42 Petiole diameter 1.9 mm
43 Petiole texture (both surfaces) smooth
44 Petiole color (both surfaces) Dark yellow JHS color
green chart No.3509
45 Petiole: presence of wings Present
46 Petiole wing shape Vestigial
47 Petiole wing length 8.0 mm
48 Petiole wing texture (both Smooth
surfaces)
49 Petiole wing color (both sur- Upper and JHS color
faces) lower: chart No.
dark yellow 3508 (upper),
green 3509 (lower)
50 Varieties with petiole wings Narrow 2.0 mm
present only: Petiole: width of
wings
51 Flower: length of petal Medium 18.4 mm
52 Flower: width of petal Very Broad 8.3 mm
53 Flower: ratio length/ width of Small 2.2
petal
54 Flower: length of stamens — 10.3 mm
55 Flower depth 2.2 cm
56 Flower diameter 3.5 cm
57 Petal number per flower 5
58 Petal shape Spindle-
shaped
59 Petal apex Acute to
obtuse
60 Petal margin Slightly
curved
61 Petal base descriptors Truncate
62 Petal color (both surfaces) White (both JHS color
side) chart No. 3301
63 Sepal number per flower 5
64 Sepal shape Lanceolate
65 Sepal apex Acute
66 Sepal color (both surfaces) Light yellow JHS color
green (both chart No. 3304
side)
67 Pistil number per flower 1
68 Stigma color Light yellow
69 Stigma style Round
70 Stigma length 0.2 mm
71 Stigma color Bright orange JHS color
yellow chart No. 2205
72 Anther: color Medium JHS color
yellow chart No. 2203
73 Anther: viable pollen Low (>14 ≤ 21%)
74 Amount of pollen produced Very few
75 Infructescence: clustering of Present
fruits
76 Number of fruits per cluster 1
77 Fruit: length Long 7.7 cm
78 Fruit: diameter Large 8.7 cm
79 Fruit: ratio length/diameter Medium 1.13
80 Fruit: position of broadest part At Middle
81 Fruit: shape in transverse section Circular
82 Fruit: general shape of proximal Flattened
part (excluding neck, collar and
depression at stalk end)
83 Fruit: presence of neck Absent
84 Fruit: presence of depression at Present
stalk end
85 Fruit: depth of depression at Shallow 2.5 mm
stalk end
86 Fruit: presence of constriction at Absent
stalk end
87 Fruit: presence of collar Absent
88 Fruit: general shape of distal Flattened
part (excluding nipple, bulging
of navel and depression at
distal end)
89 Fruit: presence of depression at Present
distal end
90 Fruit: depth of depression at Shallow 1.7 mm
distal end
91 Fruit: presence of areola Absent
92 Fruit: diameter of stylar scar Very small 1.4 mm
93 Fruit: persistence of style None
94 Fruit: presence of navel opening Absent
95 Fruit: presence of radial grooves Absent
at distal end
96 Fruit: expression of radial Absent or
grooves at distal end Very Weak
97 Fruit surface: predominant Dark orange JHS color
color(s) chart No. 1306
98 Fruit surface: glossiness Medium
99 Fruit surface: roughness Medium
100 Fruit surface: diameter of oil All about the 1.5 mm
glands same diameter
101 Fruit rind: adherence to flesh Weak
102 Fruit rind: strength Weak
103 Fruit rind: conspicuousness of Absent or
oil glands on inner surface Weakly
Conspicuous
104 Fruit rind thickness 3.5 mm
105 Fruit rind ease of peeling Somewhat
easy
106 Fruit: color of albedo Light yellow JHS color
chart No. 1905
107 Fruit: density of albedo Medium
108 Fruit: main color of flesh Dark orange JHS color
chart No. 1306
109 Fruit: filling of core Medium
110 Fruit: presence of rudimentary Absent or
segments Very Weak
111 Number of segments per fruit 12
112 Fruit: strength of segment walls Medium
113 Fruit; conspicuousness of juice Medium
vesicle walls
114 Fruit: presence of navel (viewed Absent or
internally) Very Rare
115 Fruit: juiciness High
116 Fruit juice: total soluble solids High 13.1 Brix
117 Fruit juice: acidity Medium 1.02
118 Juice sac length 8.4 mm
119 Juice sac width 2.8 mm
120 Juice color Dark orange JHS color
chart No. 1306
121 Fruit: strength of fiber Medium
122 Fruit: number of seeds (con- Absent or 0
trolled manual self-pollination) Very Few
123 Fruit: number of seeds (open Absent or 0
pollination) Very Few
124 Fruit weight 233.21 g
125 Fruit productivity: amount of 35 kg/
fruit produced per tree per tree
season
126 Seed: polyembryony Absent
127 Time of maturity of fruit for Medium to April
consumption Late
128 Fruit: parthenocarpy Present
129 Plant: self-incompatibility Present
Other features of the plant are as follows:
- Disease and pest resistance: Normal resistance was observed for pests and diseases in Uwajima, Ehime, Japan.
- Tree hardiness: USDA Hardiness Zone 9a-9b (until −3° C.).
- Fruit shipability: Medium.
- Fruit storageability: Medium.
