USPP20337P3

USPP20337P3 - Chestnut plant named ‘AU Buck II’

Info

Publication number: USPP20337P3
Application number: US12/012,025
Authority: US
Inventors: W. Alfred Dozier, JR.; Joseph Daniel Norton; Curtis J. Hansen
Original assignee: Auburn University
Current assignee: Auburn University
Priority date: 2008-01-30
Filing date: 2008-01-30
Publication date: 2009-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 2028-01-30
Also published as: US20090210972P1

Abstract

‘AU Buck II’ is a new and distinct Chinese chestnut cultivar that is blight resistant, precocious and prolific. It produces a large nut. Nut drop begins about September 15 and continues for a 6–7 week period. A large percentage of the nuts drop during the first three weeks after the beginning of nut drop. ‘AU Buck II’ nuts mature and start dropping during the early phase of the normal ripening period that most Chinese chestnut cultivars mature and drop nuts in the area. ‘AU Buck II’ is a large tree that was 9.14 meters tall, with a canopy area of 101.36 square meters at 15-years of age. ‘AU Buck II’ is the second cultivar to mature and drop nuts in a series of four Chinese chestnut cultivars that will provide for a continuous nut drop of a high energy wildlife food source from late August through mid-to-late November.

Description

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Castanea mollissima Blume.

Variety denomination: ‘Au Buck II’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A Chinese chestnut planting was established at Auburn University, Auburn, AL, from nuts collected in China. The planting was established on the United States Department of Agriculture Horticulture Farm which in later years became the Mainstation Horticulture Farm. Precocious and prolific-bearing, blight resistant seedlings were selected for nut appearance, size and quality. Each generation of seedlings were the product of controlled mass pollination from the most promising seedlings selected from the previous generation. ‘AU Cropper’, ‘AU Leader’ and ‘AU Homestead’ were released from a second generation of approximately 2000 seedlings. A planting of third generation seedlings from controlled mass pollination of ‘AU Leader’, ‘AU Homestead’ and ‘AU Cropper’ was established at the Auburn University Piedmont Substation at Camp Hill, AL.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘AU Buck II’ is an open pollinated seedling of ‘AU Homestead’.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Chinese chestnut cultivar that is blight resistant, precocious, produces large sized nuts (16.6 g), and begins nut drop about September 15 and continues for a 6–7 week period. A large percent of the nuts drop during the first three weeks after nut drop begins. The nuts mature and start dropping during the early part of the normal ripening period for most Chinese chestnut cultivars in this area. The large crop of large sized nuts is an excellent high energy food source for wildlife such as deer and squirrels. The original 15-year old ‘AU Buck II’ tree is a large tree, 9.14 meters tall, with a canopy width of 11.35 meters, and a canopy area of 101.36 square meters. The tree has a trunk diameter of 37.9 cm at breast height. The ‘AU Buck II’ produced nuts the third year after transplanting, has produced a large crop annually for the size of tree, and produced 127.9 kg (282 pounds) of nuts in 2006.

‘AU Buck II’ cultivar is the second cultivar to mature and drop nuts in a series of four Chinese chestnut cultivars that will provide a continuous nut drop of a high energy wildlife food source from late August through mid-to-late November. ‘AU Buck I’, ‘AU Buck III’ and ‘AU Buck IV’ are the other three cultivars, which are disclosed in U.S. patent application No. 12/012,091, filed on Jan. 30, 2008, and entitled “CHESTNUT PLANT NAMED ‘AU BUCK I’”, U.S. patent application No. 12/012,110, filed on Jan. 30, 2008, and entitled “CHESTNUT PLANT NAMED ‘AU BUCK III’” and U.S. patent application No. 12/012,112, filed on Jan. 30, 2008, and entitled “CHESTNUT PLANT NAMED ‘AU BUCK IV’”, which are hereby incorporated by reference.

The new cultivar is able to be asexually reproduced by budding or grafting onto a seedling Chinese chestnut rootstock. The unique characteristics come true to form and are established and transmitted through asexual propagation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a photograph of nuts of the ‘AU BUCK II’ cultivar.

FIG. 2 is a photograph of nuts of the ‘AU BUCK II’ cultivar.

FIG. 3 is a photograph of a tree of the ‘AU BUCK II’ cultivar.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The Chinese chestnut, Castanea mollissima Blume, is a cold, hardy, temperate zone species native to China. It can be grown between 30° and 50° latitudes. The Chinese chestnut is resistant to chestnut blight fungus Cryphonectria parasitica. Generally, Chinese chestnuts are grown on a wide range of soils, but well-drained, deep and fertile soils are considered the best. Soils should be slightly acidic with pH 5.6–6.5. The name mollissima means soft hair and this species is recognized by dense hair on young leaves and downy yellow terminal parts of the shoots in winter. The leaf blade is thicker, and, in general, mature leaves are broader than those of other species. The nuts have a small scar or hilum. The pellicle or thin membranous skin on the nuts is thin and peels readily from the kernel. The trees are a spreading type and long-lived with a round top. The trees have bark with furrows and buds with 3–4 scales and leaves are 2 ranked, serrated with numerous parallel veins.

Chestnuts are monoecious and staminate flowers appear on erect cylindrical catkins with 10–20 stamens and 6-parted calyx. Pistillate flowers are borne on a lower part of the upper staminate catkins and rarely on separate catkins usually 3 in a prickly symmetrical involucre with 7–9 styles and a 6-celled ovary. Nuts are small, brown with a pale scar at the base. Generally, 1–3 nuts per involucre or bur are present.

‘AU Buck II’ is a tall tree that is obovate in shape with high, diffuse and upright branches. The original 15-year old tree is 9.14 meters (29.96 feet) tall with a trunk diameter at breast height of 37.90 cm (14.92 inches). The canopy is 11.35 meters (37.20 feet) wide and covers an area of 101.36 square meters (1091.0 square feet). The average nut length is 30.70 mm (1.21 inches) and the average nut width is 37.70 mm (1.48 inches). The nuts start dropping about September 15 and continue to drop for a 6 to 7 week period. A large percent of the nuts drop during the first three weeks after nut drop begins. The nuts mature and start dropping during the early part of the normal ripening for most Chinese chestnuts cultivars in this area. ‘AU Buck II’ is a precocious and prolific fruiting cultivar.

In the planting at the Piedmont Substation, Camp Hill, AL., accurate yields could not be obtained due to extremely heavy wildlife (deer and turkey) feeding. Therefore, the trees were rated for crop load each year. ‘AU Buck II’ has been a producer of a large crop load each season. In the fall of 2006, individual trees were caged with 6 foot (1.83 meters) tall chicken wire prior to nut drop to exclude wildlife and nuts were picked up daily during nut drop. The original 15-year old ‘AU Buck II’ tree produced 127.9 kg (282.0 pounds) of nuts in 2006. This is a much greater yield than the yields of similar aged trees.

The table below illustrates the specific differences between the ‘AU BUCK II’ cultivar and the ‘REVIVAL’ cultivar.


The botanical details of this new and distinctive variety of
chestnut tree - with color definitions (except those in
common color terms) referenced to Royal Horticultural
Society's Colour Chart (RHS) and color was also determined
using an electronic spectrophotometer to determine hue angle
and Chroma (spectrophotometer model CM-2002; Minolta
Camera Co., Japan).

10/23 ‘AU BUCK II’ CHESTNUT

Tree:

Size (at maturity) - large-fifteen year old original tree is 9.14 meters tall

with a canopy width of 11.35 meters and a canopy area of

101.36 sq. meters Tree shape is round.

Vigor - very vigorous

Trunk:

Form - upright with branches low and diffuse

Texture - relatively smooth

Color of bark - brown RHS N200B, Chroma C* 11.85, hue angle 85.23

Branches:

Form - upright and spreading

Texture - relatively smooth

Lenticels - few, small

Branching habit - low and spreading

Color - new wood: brown, RHS 200C, Chroma C* 13.80,

hue angle 71.55, mature wood: grey-brown RHS N199A

Chroma C* 13.69, hue angle 91.59

Foliage:

Quantity - abundant

Density - dense

Leaves:

Size - large. Length (cm) 20.5 (17.5-23.5) [20]

width (cm) 8.2 (7.2-9.3) [20]

leaf ratio 2.5 (2.1-3.0) [20]

Shape - oblong-elliptic to obovate

leaf tip - acuminate to acute

leaf base - rounded; equal to oblique

Thickness - thick. Leaf venation 1° pinnate: 2° ± parallel,

prominent abaxially

Texture - moderately coriaceous

Margin - weakly to coarsely serrate; teeth ascending

Petiole - length 0.9 cm (0.5-1.8) [20]

Petiole pubescence - sparingly to generously pubescence of simple hairs

Color - adaxial surface, glabrous blade; scattered simple hairs on main

veins medium green; moderately shiny, RHS 147A,

Chroma C* 14.62, hue angle 120.75

abaxial surface, moderately to densely stellate pubescence on blade;

simple hairs along main veins, RHS 147B, Chroma C* 18.44,

hue angle 110.70

Bloom:

Amount of bloom - heavy

Color - at anthesis, 161D greyed-yellow group, 157D green-white group,

155C white group

Blooming period - mid-May. After foliation in April.

Age at which tree starts flowering - early, 2-3 years alter graft

replacement.

Male flower - Catkin length (cm)-13.7 (11.8-15.7) [15]

Male flower - stamen number per catkin-11.3 (10-12) [15]

Female flower - flower number per bur - 3

Female flower - style number per flower 6.7 (5-8) [12]

Crop:

Bearing - regular annual bearer

Productivity - prolific

Ripening period - long, nuts begins dropping September 14 and

continues for a 4-5 week period.

Distribution of nuts on tree - well distributed, fruits on terminals with

2-4 burs per terminal.

Tenacity - burs crack while on tree and nuts release and drop from bur.

Hull:

Description - spiny round bur

Size - 2.98-3.71″ in diameter

Number of nuts - 2-3 per bur

Dehiscence - splits easily when still on tree

Color - yellow-green at dehiscence, RHS N144C

Nut:

Size - very large; average size- 1.21″ × 1.48″ × 0.81″.

Average weight - 16.6 grams 27 (23-33) nuts per pound.

Form - very large, broader than long, flattened on 1 side, occ. 2, mostly

hemispheric on other side; rounded basally, almost flat distally with little

or no tip.

Blossom end - small pointed tip

Basal end - flattened

Color - light brown, RHS 200B, Chroma C* 14.03, hue angle 40.05

Pubescence - mixed long and short, fine, white hairs densely

covering the ⅛ to ¼ end, otherwise sparse and glabrate elsewhere

Shell - thin

Hardness of shell - relatively hard, yet not rigid

Texture of shell - smooth

Percentage of kernel to nut - very high-90-95%

Kernel:

Size - almost as large as nut size

Form - same as nut shape

Pellicle - thin

Flavor - excellent, very sweet

Color - straw color, RHS 152D, Chroma C* 45.86, hue angle 81.35

Resistance to insects: no unusual susceptibilities noted

Resistance to disease: no susceptibilities to disease noted

The chestnut tree and its nuts herein described may

vary in slight detail due to climatic and soil conditions

under which the variety may be grown; the present

description being of the variety as grown in Camp Hill,

Ala.

The botanical details of this variety of

chestnut tree - with color definitions (except those in

common color terms) referenced to Maerz and Paul

Dictionary of Color-are as follows:

‘REVIVAL’

Tree:

Size (at maturity) - large

Vigor - very vigorous

Trunk:

Form - upright with branches spreading in upper

reaches of tree.

Texture - relatively smooth

Color of bark - Silvergray (13-A-1)

Branches:

Form - strong

Texture - relatively smooth

Lenticels - few, small

Branching habit - spreading in upper region of tree

Color - new wood: reddish brown and glossy, mature

wood: silver gray

Foliage:

Quantity - abundant

Density - dense

Leaves:

Size - large. Average length - 5-7″ (including petiole).

Average width - 2″

Shape - oblong with acute tip and rounded base

Thickness - thick

Texture - smooth

Margin - dentate

Petiole - length: medium. Thickness: medium.

Color - Top side - glossy dark green (22-L-12).

Under side - lighter green (21-D-7).

Bloom:

Amount of bloom - heavy

Color - cream white (17-B-1)

Blooming period - late. After leaf out in April

Age at which tree starts flowering - early; 2-3 years

years after graft replacement.

Crop:

Bearing - regular (yearly) bearer

Productivity - prolific

Ripening period - short. September 15-October 1.

Distribution of nuts on tree - well distributed

Tenacity - burrs crack while on tree and nuts easily

release, many falling by themselves

Hull:

Description - spiny, round burr

Size - 3-4″ in diameter

Number of nuts - 2-3 per burr

Dehiscence - splits easily when still on tree. Some

entire burrs split and fall to ground

Color - brown (15-A-8)

Nut:

Size - large. Average size - 1⅛″ × 1⅛″ × 1″ thick.

Average weight - 24-32 nuts per pound

Form - broad and ovoid on one side, flat on other side

Blossom end - pointed tip

Basal end - flattened

Color - India Red (7-L-6).

Shell - thin

Hardness of shell - relatively hard, yet not rigid

Texture of shell - smooth

Percentage of kernel to nut - very high (95%)

Kernel:

Size - almost as large as nut size

Form - same as nut shape

Pellicle - thin

Flavor - excellent. Very sweet.

Color - Oyster white (10-B-1)

Resistance to insects: no unusual susceptibilities noted

Resistance to disease: very high inherent resistance to

chestnut bark fungus (Endothia parastica), no

other susceptibilities to any other disease

The chestnut tree and its nuts herein described may

vary in slight detail due to climatic and soil conditions

under which the variety may be grown; the present

description being of the variety as grown in Alachua,

Fla.

‘Au Buck II’ is different from ‘AU Gobbler I’ in several ways. For example, the size of the trees, the trunk forms and colors, the branches, the leaves, the crop and the nuts have differences. Specifically, the ‘AU Buck II’ tree is shorter with a canopy area larger than the ‘AU Gobbler I’ tree. The ‘AU Buck II’ branches are upright/spreading, low/spreading and brown (new) or grey-brown (mature); whereas, the ‘AU Gobbler I’ branches are upright, high, diffuse and brown (new) or greyed-green (mature). The leaves differ in size, shape, margin, petiole and color. The ripening period for the ‘AU Buck II’ is around September 14 and continues for a 4–5 week period, but the ‘AU Gobbler I’ ripening period is around August 25 and continues for 4–5 weeks. The average weight of the nuts of ‘AU Buck II’ is 16.6 grams versus 7.7 grams for ‘AU Gobbler I’. Furthermore, ‘AU Buck II’ has roughly 27 nuts per pound, and ‘AU Gobbler I’ has roughly 59 nuts per pound.

‘AU Buck II’ is different from ‘AU Gobbler II’ in several ways. For example, the trees, the trunk colors, the branch colors, the leaves, the crop and the nuts have differences. Specifically, the ‘AU Buck II’ tree is taller with a canopy width and canopy area larger than the ‘AU Gobbler II’ tree. The ‘AU Buck II’ branches are brown (new) or grey-brown (mature); whereas, the ‘AU Gobbler II’ branches re brown (new) or greyed-green (mature). The leaves differ in size, shape, margin and color. The ripening period for the ‘AU Buck II’ is around September 14 and continues for a 4–5 week period, but the ‘AU Gobbler II’ ripening period is around September 5 and continues for 4–5 weeks. The average weight of the nuts of ‘AU Buck II’ is 16.6 grams versus 5.7 grams for ‘AU Gobbler II’. Furthermore, ‘AU Buck II’ has roughly 27 nuts per pound, and ‘AU Gobbler II’ has roughly 65–101 nuts per pound.

‘AU Buck II’ is different from ‘AU Premier’ in several ways. For example, the trees, the trunk colors, the branch colors, the leaves, the crop and the nuts have differences. Specifically, the ‘AU Buck II’ tree is taller with a canopy width and canopy area larger than the ‘AU Premier’ tree, The ‘AU Buck II’ has a grey-brown trunk, and the ‘AU Premier’ has a greyed-green trunk. The ‘AU Buck II’ branches are brown (new) or grey-brown (mature); whereas, the ‘AU Premier’ branches are brown (new) or greyed-green (mature). The leaves differ in size, shape, thickness, texture, margin, petiole and color. The ripening period for the ‘AU Buck II’ is around September 14, and the ‘AU Premier’ ripening period is early September through mid-November. The average weight of the nuts of ‘AU Buck II’ is 16.6 grams versus 1.26 grams for ‘AU Premier’. Furthermore, ‘AU Buck II’ has roughly 27 nuts per pound, and ‘AU Premier’ has roughly 360.3 nuts per pound.

‘AU Buck II’ is different form ‘AU Encore’ in several ways. For example, the trees, the trunk colors, the branch colors, the leaves, the crop and the nuts have differences. Specifically, the ‘AU Buck II’ tree is taller with a canopy width and canopy area larger than the ‘AU Encore’ tree. The ‘AU Buck II’ has a grey-brown trunk, and the ‘AU Encore’ has a greyed-green trunk. The ‘AU Buck II’ branches are brown (new) or grey-brown (mature); whereas, the ‘AU Encore’ branches are brown (new) or greyed-green (mature). The leaves differ in size, shape, thickness, texture, margin, petiole and color. The ripening period for the ‘AU Buck II’ is around September 14, but the ‘AU Encore’ ripening period is late September through late November. The average weight of the nuts of ‘AU Buck II’ is 16.6 grams versus 2.4 grams for ‘AU Encore’. Furthermore, ‘AU Buck II’ has roughly 27 nuts per pound, and ‘AU Encore’ has roughly 189.2 nuts per pound.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of the species Castanea mollissima Blume named ‘AU BUCK II’ as described and illustrated herein.