USPP21415P3 - Strawberry plant named ‘Reliance’ - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry plant named ‘RELIANCE’. This new strawberry plant named ‘RELIANCE’ is primarily adapted to the growing conditions of the central coast of California, and is primarily characterized by its large to very large fruit size; red to dark red fruit color; high productivity; medium sized plant; calyx that tends to be more equal to the diameter of the fruit; uniformly shaped, conical berries with good flavor; and relatively short fruiting trusses.

Description

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Fragaria ananassa.

Variety denomination: ‘RELIANCE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct strawberry variety named ‘RELIANCE’. This new variety is a result of a controlled cross made in 2000 in an ongoing breeding program between strawberry variety designated ‘PS-592’ (patented, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,903) and strawberry variety designated ‘PS-1269’ (patented, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,686) in an ongoing breeding program. Due to the combining of the reciprocal seed lots, it is unknown as to which parent variety is the seed parent and which parent variety is the pollen parent. The variety is botanically known as Fragaria ananassa.

The seedling resulting from the aforementioned cross was selected from a controlled breeding plot in Monterey County, Calif. in the summer of 2002. After its selection, the new variety was asexually propagated by stolons in both San Joaquin County, Calif., and Siskiyou County, Calif. The new variety was extensively tested over the next several years in fruiting fields in Monterey County, Calif. This propagation has demonstrated that the combination of traits disclosed herein as characterizing the new variety are fixed and remain true to type through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘RELIANCE’ is primarily adapted to the climate and growing conditions of the central coast of California. The nearby Pacific Ocean provides the needed humidity and moderate temperatures to produce a strong vigorous plant and maintain fruit quality during the spring, summer and fall production months.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be unique characteristics of ‘RELIANCE’, which in combination distinguish this strawberry plant as a new and distinct variety:

• • 1. Large to very large fruit size;
  • 2. Red to dark red fruit color;
  • 3. High productivity;
  • 4. Medium sized plant;
  • 5. Calyx that tends to be more equal to the diameter of the fruit;
  • 6. Uniformly shaped, conical berries with good flavor; and
  • 7. Relatively short fruiting trusses

The strawberry varieties that are believed to be most closely related to the new strawberry variety ‘RELIANCE’ are the strawberry variety ‘PS-4634’ (patented, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,487) and the strawberry variety ‘PS-5298’ (patented, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,583). In side-by-side comparisons to the similar strawberry varieties ‘PS-4634’ and ‘PS-5298’, the new strawberry variety ‘RELIANCE’ differs by the following combination of characteristics as described in Table 1:

TABLE 1
		‘PS-4634’	‘PS-5298’
		(U.S. Plant Pat.	(U.S. Plant Pat.
Characteristic	‘RELIANCE’	No. 17,487)	No.19,583)
1. Color of mature	Ranges from	Ranges from	Red
fruit	red to dark red	red to
		orange-red
2. Average fruit	27.4	27.6	24.6
weight (gm)
3. Marketable yield	1,646	1,521	1,445
(gm/plt)
4. Size of calyx in	Ranges from	Same size	Slightly larger
relation to fruit	same size to
diameter	slightly smaller
5. Plant size	Medium	Large	Large
6. Stolon	Weak	Ranges from	Weak
anthocyanin intensity		weak to
		medium
7. Interveinal leaf	Medium	Ranges from	Ranges from
blistering		medium to	medium to
		strong	strong
8. Foliage gloss	Medium	Ranges from	Ranges from
		medium to	medium to
		strong	strong
9. Petiole length (cm)	19.4	23.7	24.4
10. Petiolule length	15.5	9.4	12.3
(mm)
11. Terminal leaf	Obtuse	Acute	Acute
shape of base
12. Terminal leaf	Rounded	Obtuse	Obtuse
shape of teeth
13. Fruiting truss	29.9	39.0	36.3
length at maturity (cm)
14. Fruiting truss	Strong	Ranges from	Medium
pubescence		medium to
		weak

For identification a series of AFLP molecular markers have been determined for this new variety.

‘RELIANCE’ differs from its parents, ‘PS-592’ and ‘PS-1269’ by the following combination of characteristics as described in Table 2.

TABLE 2
		‘PS-592’	‘PS-1269-2
		(U.S. Plant Pat.	(U.S. Plant Pat.
Characteristic	‘RELIANCE’	No. 9,903)	No. 10,686)
1. Color of mature	Ranges from	Ranges from	Red
fruit	red to dark red	red to orange-red
2. Fruit size	Ranges from	Medium	Medium
	large to very large
3. Plant size	Medium	Large	Large
4. Fruit skin	Ranges from	Medium	Medium
firmness	medium to strong
5. Fruit gloss	Medium	Ranges from	Ranges from
		medium to strong	medium to weak
6. Fruit	High	Ranges from	Medium
productivity		medium to high

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying color photographs illustrate the overall appearance of typical specimens of the new strawberry variety ‘RELIANCE’, at various stages of development as true as it is reasonably possible with color reproductions of this type. Color in the photographs may differ slightly from the color value cited in the botanical description which accurately describe the color of ‘RELIANCE’. The depicted plant and plant parts of the new strawberry variety ‘RELIANCE’ were taken in Monterey County, Calif., and are approximately 8 to 9 months old:

FIG. 1 shows typical fruiting field characteristics of ‘RELIANCE’ taken in the month of June 2008;

FIG. 2 shows a close-up view of a typical leaf structure of ‘RELIANCE’ taken in the month of July 2008;

FIG. 3 shows typical mature and immature field fruit of ‘RELIANCE’ taken in the month of July 2008;

FIG. 4 shows a close-up view of mature fruit of ‘RELIANCE’ taken in the month of July 2008;

FIG. 5 shows typical internal and external mature fruit characteristics of ‘RELIANCE’ taken in the month of July 2008.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new variety ‘RELIANCE’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The characteristics of the new variety ‘RELIANCE’ may vary in detail, depending upon variations in environmental factors, including weather (temperature, humidity and light intensity), day length, soil type and location. In addition, the characteristics of any parental variety or comparison variety included in Tables 1-9 of the present invention, may vary in detail, depending upon variations in environmental factors, including weather (temperature, humidity and light intensity), day length, soil type and location.

The aforementioned photographs, together with the following description of the new variety ‘RELIANCE’, unless otherwise noted, is based on observations taken during the 2008 growing season in Monterey County, Calif. These measurements and ratings were taken from plants of ‘RELIANCE’ dug from a high-elevation nursery located in Siskiyou County, Calif. during the middle of October 2007 and planted approximately 3 weeks later in Monterey County, Calif. The approximate age of the observed plants is 8 to 10 months. Yield observations and fruit quality characteristics are averaged from four years of data collected from the 2005 through 2008 growing seasons. Flower measurements and characteristics are from secondary flowers unless otherwise noted. Fruit characteristics and measurements are from secondary fruit unless otherwise noted.

Color terminology where noted follows The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, London (2007).

The following Tables 3 to 9 describe fruit, plant, stolon, foliage, fruiting truss, flower and pest disease characteristics of the new strawberry ‘RELIANCE’ in comparison to the similar strawberry variety ‘PS-4634’ (patented, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,487) and strawberry variety ‘PS-5298’ (patented, U.S. Plant Pat. No 19,583).

TABLE 3
FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS

		‘PS-4634’	‘PS-5298’
		(U.S. Plant Pat.	(U.S. Plant Pat.
Characteristic	‘RELIANCE’	No. 17,487)	No. 19,583)
Color of mature	RHS 46A	RHS 45B	RHS 45A
fruit	Ranges from red	Red to	Red
	to dark red	orange-red
Color of internal	RHS 44A	RHS 44C	RHS 44B
flesh	Medium red	Ranges from	Medium red
		medium to
		light red
Fruit length (cm)	4.7	4.9	4.6
Fruit width (cm)	4.2	4.1	4.0
Fruit length/width	1.12	1.19	1.15
ratio	Slightly longer	Slightly longer	Slightly longer
	than broad	than broad	than broad
Calyx diameter	3.9	4.4	4.2
(cm)
Average fruit	27.4	27.6	24.6
weight (gm)
Achene color,	RHS 162B	RHS 162C	RHS 160B
shaded side	Greyed-yellow	Greyed-yellow	Greyed-yellow
	group	group	group
Achene color,	RHS 184B	RHS 184C	RHS 184C
sun exposed side	Greyed-purple	Greyed-purple	Greyed-purple
	group	group	group
Achenes per berry	340	359	268
Achene weight (mg)	0.60	0.45	0.50
Marketable fruit	1,646	1,521	1,445
yield (gm/plt)
Fruit Size	Ranges from	Ranges from	Ranges from
	large to very	large to very	medium to
	large	large	large
Predominant fruit	Conical	Conical	Conical
shape
Difference in shapes	Slight	Moderate	Moderate
between primary
and secondary fruit
Band without	Narrow	Narrow	Ranges from
achenes			absent to very
			narrow
Unevenness of fruit	Weak	Ranges from	Weak
surface		weak to medium
Evenness of fruit	Ranges from	Ranges from	Ranges from
color	slightly	slightly	slightly
	uneven to even	uneven to even	uneven to even
Fruit glossiness	Medium	Strong	Ranges from
			medium to
			strong
Insertion of achenes	Level with	Level with	Level with
	surface	surface	surface
Insertion of calyx	Ranges from	Ranges from	Ranges from
	level with to in	level with to in	level with to
	the basin	the basin	above fruit
Attitude of the	Ranges from	Ranges from	Ranges from
calyx	spreading	spreading	spreading
	to reflexed	to reflexed	to reflexed
Size of calyx	Ranges from	Same size	Slightly larger
in relation	same size
to fruit diameter	to slightly smaller
Adherence of calyx	Strong	Strong	Strong
Firmness of fruit	Ranges from	Strong	Ranges from
skin	medium to strong		medium to
			strong
Firmness of fruit	Ranges from	Medium	Ranges from
flesh	medium to firm		medium to firm
Keeping quality	Good	Very good	Good
Distribution of red	Marginal and	Marginal and	Marginal and
color of the flesh	central	central	central
Hollow center	Moderate	Strong	Moderate
expression
Fruit flavor	Good	Very good	Good
Soluble solids (%	8.8	9.6	9.6
brix)
Time of first	Medium	Early	Early
flowering
Flowering period	Early to mid	Late February	Late February
	March	to early March	to early March
	to December	to December	to December
Time of first	Medium	Early	Early
harvesting
Harvest period	Early to mid	Late March to	Late March to
	April to	early April to	early April to
	December	December	December
Type of bearing	Partially	Not	Partially
	everbearing	remontant	everbearing

TABLE 4
PLANT CHARACTERISTICS

		‘PS-4634’	‘PS-5298’
		(U.S. Plant Pat.	(U.S. Plant Pat.
Characteristic	‘RELIANCE’	No. 17,487)	No. 19,583)
Plant height (cm)	26.5	31.9	34.1
Plant spread (cm)	33.8	36.7	40.0
Crowns/plant	5.3	6.0	6.7
Plant size	Medium	Large	Large
Plant habit	Globose	Globose	Globose
Plant density	Medium	Medium	Medium
Plant vigor	Medium	Strong	Strong

TABLE 5
STOLON CHARACTERISTICS

		‘PS-4634’	‘PS-5298’
		(U.S. Plant Pat.	(U.S. Plant Pat.
Characteristic	‘RELIANCE’	No. 17,487)	No. 19,583)
Stolon color	RHS 146C	RHS 144A	RHS 145A
	Yellow-green	Yellow-green	Yellow-green
	group	group	group
Stolon anthocyanin	RHS 180C	RHS 182D	RHS 182D
coloration	Greyed-red	Greyed-red	Greyed-red
	group	group	group
Stolon anthocyanin	Weak	Ranges from	Weak
intensity		weak to
		medium
Average stolon number	1.1	2.7	0.9
per plant from the
fruiting field
Stolon diameter at	4.3	4.5	4.1
bract (mm)
Stolon pubescence	Ranges from	Ranges from	Ranges from
	medium to	medium to	medium to
	strong	weak	strong
Attitude of hairs	Slightly	Upward	Slightly
	outward		outward

TABLE 6
FOLIAGE CHARACTERISTICS

		‘PS-4634’	‘PS-5298’
		(U.S. Plant Pat.	(U.S. Plant Pat.
Characteristic	‘RELIANCE’	No. 17,487)	No. 19,583)
Foliage:
Color of upper	RHS 137B	RHS 137A	RHS 137B
surface	Medium green	Medium green	Medium green
Color of under side	RHS 147C	RHS 147C	RHS 147C
	Yellow-green	Yellow-green	Yellow-green
	group	group	group
Shape in cross	Ranges from	Ranges from	Ranges from
section	strongly	slightly	slightly
	concave to flat	concave to flat	concave to flat
Interveinal	Medium	Ranges from	Ranges from
blistering		medium to	medium to
		strong	strong
Leaf glossiness	Medium	Ranges from	Ranges from
		medium to	medium to
		strong	strong
Number of leaflets	Three	Three	Three
Terminal Leaflet:
Length (cm)	9.5	10.5	10.2
Width (cm)	9.1	8.0	8.8
Length/width ratio	1.04	1.32	1.16
	Ranges from as	Much longer	Much longer
	long as broad to	than broad	than broad
	longer than broad
Serrations/leaf	22.1	21.9	19.1
Leaf size	Ranges from	Ranges from	Ranges from
	medium to large	medium to large	medium to large
Shape of base	Obtuse	Acute	Acute
Shape of teeth	Rounded	Obtuse	Obtuse
Petiole:
Petiole Color	RHS 145A	RHS 145A	RHS 144A
	Yellow-green	Yellow-green	Yellow-green
	group	group	group
Petiole length (cm)	19.4	23.7	24.4
Petiole diameter	5.0	5.4	5.4
(mm)
Petiolule color	RHS 145A	RHS 145A	RHS 144A
	Yellow green	Yellow green	Yellow green
	group	group	group
Petiolule length	15.5	9.4	12.3
(mm)
Petiole pubescence	Moderate	Ranges from	Ranges from
		moderate to	moderate to
		sparce	sparce
Attitude of hairs	Ranges from	Slightly	Strongly
	upward to	outward	outward
	slightly outward
Stipule:
Color	RHS 146B	RHS 146B	RHS 146B
	Yellow-green	Yellow-green	Yellow-green
	group	group	group
Anthocyanin	RHS 61B	RHS 58A	RHS 61B
coloration	Red-purple	Red-purple	Red-purple
	group	group	group
Anthocyanm	Medium	Strong	Weak
intensity
Length (mm)	19.4	19.5	23.5
Width (mm)	8.3	9.5	9.8

TABLE 7
FRUITING TRUSS CHARACTERISTICS

		‘PS-4634’	‘PS-5298’
		(U.S. Plant Pat.	(U.S. Plant Pat.
Characteristic	‘RELIANCE’	No. 17,487)	No. 19,583)
Anthocyanin	RHS 181B	RHS 182D	RHS 182C
coloration	Greyed-red group	Greyed-red group	Greyed-red group
Anthocyanin	Ranges from	Absent or very	Ranges from
intensity	medium to weak	weak	medium to weak
Length at	29.9	39.0	36.3
maturity (cm)
Position relative	Beneath the	Level with	Level with to
to foliage	foliage		beneath the foliage
Pubescence	Strong	Ranges from	Medium
		medium to weak
Attitude at	Prostrate	Prostrate	Prostrate
first pick

TABLE 8
FLOWER CHARACTERISTICS

		‘PS-4634’	‘PS-5298’
		(U.S. Plant Pat.	(U.S. Plant Pat.
Characteristic	‘RELIANCE’	No. 17,487)	No. 19,583)
Petal color	RHS 155C	RHS 155C	RHS 155C
	White	White	White
Sepal color	RHS 137B	RHS 137A	RHS 137B
	Green group	Green group	Green group
Receptacle color	RHS 147C	RHS 147C	RHS 147C
	Yellow-green	Yellow-green	Yellow-green
	group	group	group
Corolla diameter	30.6	34.2	31.8
(mm)
Calyx diameter	32.0	36.6	36.5
(mm)
Petal length (mm)	12.3	12.8	12.0
Petal width (mm)	12.8	12.5	12.5
Petal length/width	0.96	1.03	0.95
ratio
Petals/flower	5.9	6.0	6.4
Sepal length (mm)	12.1	13.2	13.1
Sepal width (mm)	4.8	5.2	4.5
Sepal length/width	2.53	2.53	2.92
ratio
Sepals/flower	11.6	12.3	13.0
Size of calyx	Ranges from	Larger	Larger
relative to corolla	same size to larger
Size of inner	Ranges from	Ranges from	Ranges from
calyx relative to	same size	same size to	same size to
outer calyx	to smaller	larger	smaller
Relative position	Overlapping	Overlapping	Overlapping
of petals

TABLE 9
PEST AND DISEASE REACTIONS

		‘PS-4634’	‘PS-5298’
		(U.S. Plant Pat.	(U.S. Plant Pat.
Characteristic	‘RELIANCE’	No. 17,487)	No. 19,583)
Two spotted spider	Moderately	Moderately	Moderately
mite	susceptible	susceptible	susceptible
Flower thrips	Moderately	Moderately	Moderately
	resistant	susceptible	susceptible
Powdery mildew	Moderately	Moderately	Moderately
	susceptible	resistant	susceptible
Botrytis fruit rot	Moderately	Moderately	Moderately
	susceptible	susceptible	susceptible
Angular leaf spot	Susceptible	Susceptible	Moderately
			susceptible

Claims (1)

1. A new and distinct strawberry plant named ‘RELIANCE’, as herein described and illustrated by the characteristics set forth above.

Images