USPP9541P

USPP9541P - Apple tree `Romagold`

Info

Publication number: USPP9541P
Application number: US08/307,389
Authority: US
Inventors: Romain Surkijn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-02-02
Filing date: 1994-09-15
Publication date: 1996-05-07
Anticipated expiration: 2013-05-07

Abstract

A new variety of apple originating as a spontaneous limb mutation of its parent vairety Jonagold (unpatented) and unique particularly for its over-all, early, broadly striped, red skin color pattern, its tart-like flavor, taste and high dessert quality and otherwise as herein described.

Description

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/013,021 filed Feb. 2, 1993, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of apple tree and more particularly to a spontaneous limb-sport mutation of the apple variety commonly known as Jonagold, a non-patented variety.

The discovery was made by the inventor, Mr. Romain Surkijn, in 1983, in one of his cultivated apple orchards located at Betserbaan 40, B-3460, Halen, Belgium.

The mutation appeared as a spontaneous limb-sport in the upper portion of a two (2) year old Jonagold tree (FIG. 1). The inventor (discoverer) was attracted to this new Jonagold sport by the early, broadly striped, bright, red coloring of its fruit (See FIGS. 3 and 5). The winter following this discovery, the inventor collected grafting wood from the sport-limb to use for grafting of second (2nd) generation trees and for topworking. Second (2nd) generation trees were grafted in the spring of 1985. The new cultivar was named "Romagold" for all future reference use (FIG. 2).

Several (6) trees were also top worked in order to speed up the production of second (2nd) generation fruit and to see if this new discovery was stable in the next generation. These grafts produced second (2nd) generation fruit the following fall (1986) and in all succeeding years. Third (3rd) generation fruits have now also been produced and all second (2nd) and third (3rd) generation fruit show the same early unique broadly striped red fruit coloration identical to fruits grown on the original sport limb.

The new Romagold variety has been carefully compared to its parent, the Jonagold variety (unpatented), and to other red Jonagold sport varieties now being grown, including Jonagored (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,937), Daliguy (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,148), Jonica (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,146), Rubinstar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,590) and Jonagold De Coster (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,049).

Fruit skin color, shape, color intensity and other fruit characteristics of the new variety are compared in Table 1 to the varieties listed above, and are hereby further described:

1. The skin color of Romagold takes on a distinctive, and heavily striped pattern heavier and earlier than that of the parent tree, with the stripes being conspicuously a more prominent, darker red in appearance than those of the parent tree and the color sports within the market class. As the fruit advances to the stage of market ripeness, essentially the totality of the remaining unstriped surface of the fruit skin takes on a solid or block red blush, resulting in an essentially solid red apple which has subtle but definite deep red stripes over the attractive red ground color which, with the deep red stripes, covers 75% or more of the total fruit exterior. This results in a fruit which has an enhanced rich dark-red-over-red surface coloration which is frequently preferred by the fresh apple consumer.

2. The above mentioned broad red striped effect is particularly noticeable when Romagold fruit is displayed in packed cartons and or boxes. This color pattern differs distinctively from displays made up of blush (block) colored fruits. The value of this broad bright red striped characteristic is of considerable importance when marketing the fruit since striped red apple fruits are now preferred over blush (block) colored fruits in most world markets.

3. The value of this characteristic is also demonstrated in poor coloring years and in poor coloring apple growing districts. Poorly colored striped apples are always preferred over equally poorly colored solid-red (block) colored fruits.

When comparing Romagold to the other five patented red Jonagold varities the following fruit skin differences were noted:

1. Romagold's broadly striped bright red skin color was distinctive and markedly different from the more over-all solid block colored fruits of Jonagold De Coster, Jonagored and Rubinstar. The finished color of these three clones showed only very slight and/or no striping of fruit skin color at harvest.

2. The finished skin color of fruits of the Daliguy and Jonica varieties often showed a tomato red to dull brown red color characteristic at harvest. This differed distinctly from Romagold's very broad bright red chimera-like stripes.

3. Over-all fruit color percentages were difficult to measure because of the differing fruit coloring characteristics. See Table 1 for estimated percentages of overall red skin color at harvest of all Jonagold red sport varieties tested. However, the new Romagold variety exhibits many more chimera-like stripes than the other Jonagold red sport varieties, which tend to exhibit more of a blush (block) skin coloration.

______________________________________
ROMAGOLD COLOR COMPARISON TABLE #1
______________________________________
                     JONAGOLD
                     DE COSTER   JONAGORED
         ROMAGOLD    (USPP 8049) (USPP 5937)
______________________________________
Early color
         Begins to color
                     Similar to  Brownish
development
         about two   Standard    brown-red
of fruit weeks ahead of
                     Jonagold with
                                 color through-
         Jonagold mid-
                     some pink to
                                 out the growing
         dle of August in
                     red additional
                                 season, darken-
         Halen, Belgium.
                     color visible
                                 ing and redden-
         Begins to color
                     from July   ing in early
         with a heavy
                     through early
                                 September.
         stripe pattern.
                     September.
Fruit finish
         Overall glossy
                     Very bright Dark red to
color - shade
         bright cherry
                     wine red tone
                                 brown red; 821
         red. Produces
                     similar to  Currant red to
         more red sur-
                     Standard Jona-
                                 822 Cardinal
         face than Jona-
                     gold with no
                                 red (RHCCL)
         gored, colors
                     brown tones.
         well, even on
                     Finish tone is
         shaded sides of
                     between 818
         fruit. (39-12
                     Jasper red and
         Munsell Color
                     818 Orient red
         chart)      (RHCCL)
Finish fruit
         75-100% bright
                     Many fruits Many fruits
color - %
         cherry red with
                     with 85-95% with 85-95%
         heavy broad red color, some
                                 red color, some
         stripes.    light stripes.
                                 apples blush
                                 finish, others
                                 some stripes.
______________________________________
         RUBINSTAR   DALIGUY     JONICA
         (USPP 7590) (USPP 6148) (USPP 7146)
______________________________________
Early color
         Starts very Light green,
                                 Light green.
development
         early at the end
                     dark green.
of fruit of August in a
         brownish way.
Fruit finish
         Transforms  Bright wine red
                                 Brown to
color - shade
         from brown  with white to
                                 pink-red.
         into dark red.
                     yellow back-
                     ground.
Finish fruit
         Many fruits Many fruits Many fruit
color - %
         with 90-100%
                     with 30-40% colors with
         block red color.
                     red color   70% in a pink
                     stripes over a
                                 red. Others may
                     white to yellow
                                 stay brownish
                     background  pink red.
                     with more in-
                     tensity than
                     standard
______________________________________

Romagold has growth characteristics similar to its parent and to the other five sport clones compared to it. All exhibit an open standard-type (non-spur) growth characteristic. (See Table 2).

______________________________________
ROMAGOLD TREE COMPARISON TABLE #2
______________________________________
                     JONAGOLD
                     DE COSTER   JONAGORED
         ROMAGOLD    (USPP 8049) (USPP 5937)
______________________________________
Growth   upright,    upright rather
                                 vigouous,
         vigorous,   vigorous,   non-spur
         non-spur    non-spur
Bearing Habit
         regular annual
                     regular annual
                                 regular annual
         bearer      bearer      bearer
Trunk and
         medium stock,
                     moderately  moderately
Branches medium thick
                     thick, no spur
                                 thick
                     growth
Bark Color
         dark grey   grey        dark grey
Vigor    same as     same as     grows 5-10%
         standard    standard    more than
                                 standard
Productivity
         100%        100%        90%
______________________________________
         RUBINSTAR   DALIGUY     JONICA
         (USPP 7590) (USPP 6148) (USPP 7146)
______________________________________
Growth   less upright,
                     upright, less
                                 less upright,
         much less   vigorous, non-
                                 much less
         vigorous, non-
                     spur        vigorous, non-
         spur                    spur
Bearing Habit
         regular annual
                     tendency to regular annual
         bearer      biannual    bearer
                     bearing
Trunk and
         thin        moderately  thin
Branches             thick
Bark Color
         very dark grey
                     dark grey   grey
Vigor    virus infected,
                     same as     VF grows 10%
         grows 10% less
                     standard    less than
         than standard           standard
Productivity
         80%         90%         80%
______________________________________

Since Romagold possesses standard non-spur growth characteristics, a variety of tree training methods can be employed, such as:

1. Free standing central leader training with trees on either seedling or the more vigorous dwarfing rootstocks.

2. Central Axis training with either pole or wire support on dwarf type rootstocks.

3. Trellis-type training methods may be employed where more vigorous, non-spur type growth is necessary for proper training on dwarfing type rootstocks.

No noticeable differences have been observed in fruiting habits between Romagold and its parent Jonagold or the other five red Jonagold clones tested. Precocity and response to chemical thinning are similar.

No noticeable significant differences were recorded or observed in fruit size between all of the clones of red Jonagold. There are, however, a number of other differences between the fruit characteristics of the new Romagold variety and the red Jonagold clones, as shown and described in detail in Table 3.

______________________________________
ROMAGOLD FRUIT COMPARISON TABLE #3
______________________________________
                     JONAGOLD
                     DE COSTER   JONAGORED
         ROMAGOLD    (USPP 8049) (USPP 5937)
______________________________________
Shape    large, uniform,
                     not as large,
                                 very large, not
         round to    more uniform in
                                 uniform size,
         slightly conical
                     size, globose
                                 oblong conical
                     conical
Stem     long        long        medium long
Calyx    partly open quite shallow
                                 shallow
Cavity   acute, medium
                     broad, medium
                                 rather small,
         deep        deep        medium to
                                 shallow
Skin     smooth, glossy
                     smooth      smooth
Color at almost 100% uniform wine
                                 dark red to
Harvest  bright red  red background
                                 purple, little
         broad strips,
                     green to yellow
                                 to no back-
         some chimeras
                     when ripe, little
                                 ground striping,
         (see Figs. 3 & 4)
                     striping, mostly
                                 solid block
                     solid block color appear-
                     color appear-
                                 ance
                     ance
Lenticels
         small, conspic-
                     numerous    numerous
         uous, few &
         scattered at
         base
Calyx    reflexed and
                     long narrow long narrow
Tube     divergent,
         broad funnel
         form
Core     median      small and   small and
                     round       round
Seeds    .5 to 1 cm wide
                     large wide  large wide
         obtuse, dark
         brown
Flesh    creamy white
                     white yellowish
                                 yellowish
______________________________________
         RUBINSTAR   DALIGUY     JONICA
         (USPP 7590) (USPP 6148) (USPP 7146)
______________________________________
Shape    smaller, more
                     large, not uni-
                                 rather large,
         uniform in size,
                     form in size,
                                 not uniform in
         flat globose
                     globose conical
                                 size, flat
                                 globose
Stem     long        medium long long
Calyx    quite shallow,
                     shallow, some
                                 shallow, closed
         some half open
                     half open
Cavity   broad, medium
                     broad, medium
                                 small, medium
         deep        deep        to shallow
Skin     very smooth smooth      very smooth
Color at uniform dark
                     intense tomato
                                 dull brown red
Harvest  red with very
                     red with a  to pink red with
         little green
                     green to yellow
                                 green to yellow
         background, background  background
         solid block
         color appear-
         ance
Lenticels
         less        less        less
Calyx    long narrow not so long,
                                 short wide, not
Tube                 narrow      small and flat
Core     not small   small and round
                                 not small
         and flat                and flat
Seeds    very small and
                     large wide  very large,
         very thin               very wide
Flesh    yellowish   yellowish   white yellowish
______________________________________

As is common to many super-red sports of red apple cultivars, leaves of Romagold are a slightly darker green color when compared to leaves of its parent variety. The varieties were compared under similar growth conditions, i.e., pruning, nitrogen, water, etc. The difference in green color shade is too slight to determine on the color chart being used.

Similarly, compared to the Jonagold variety, the pinkish red color of some of the leaf petioles and midribs of Romagold are slightly more pronounced and intense than on the leaves of its parent variety. This pinkish-red color often extends further down the midrib.

No bark or tree growth differences have been noted. Surface bloom is formed on the skin of the fruit, but does not differ from surface bloom on other red Jonagold clones tested. Winter hardiness appears to be similar to its parent and the other red Jonagold clones tested. Spring blossom hardiness also appears to be similar. As with Jonagold and the other cultivars tested, the skin of Romagold has shown no russet problems.

The new Romagold variety is free of all 10 known viruses and virus-like diseases, and is resistant to the common fungal and bacterial diseases of apples.

THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying full-color pictures and tables illustrate the new Romagold apple tree and the characteristics of its fruit.

FIG. 1 Shows the sport limb on the original mother tree.

FIG. 2 Shows a three (3) year old second (2nd) generation tree of Romagold growing in the inventor's orchard near Halen, Belgium. Note standard Jonagold parent trees in background.

FIG. 3 Is a close-up view of Romagold fruit showing broad stripes and bright red skin color.

FIG. 4 Shows a color comparison--Romagold v. Jonagold at picking maturity.

FIG. 5 Color photograph showing Romagold's broad, red stripes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

Following is a detailed description of the new variety with color terminology in accordance with the Munsell Color Cascade Chart except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

1. Parentage: A spontaneous limb-sport of the apple variety Jonagold (unpatented).

2. Locality where grown and observed:

Halen, Belgium.

Brogdale Experimental Horticultural Station.

Faversham-Kent, England.

Goren Research Station, Belgium.

Yakima, Wash. U.S.A.

3. Dates of first and last pickings: About September 25 and October 10, respectively, in Halen, Belgium. About September 20 and October 1, respectively, in Yakima, Wash., U.S.A.

4. Tree: Medium large, vigorous, dense foliage, rapid grower, upright.

Trunk.--Medium stocky, smooth, dark-brown (26-15).

Branches.--Medium thick, smooth, stocky, green-brown (23-13).

Lenticels.--Medium size, few, not raised, whitish-grey.

Twigs.--Slender.

Color.--Grey with reddish terminal buds.

5. Leaves: Large, long, medium wide, lanceolate, abruptly pointed, medium thick.

Length.--Average 7.5 cm.

Width.--Average 5.8 cm.

Color.--Green to dark-green (19-13).

Margin.--Moderately serrate.

Petiole.--Medium long (3 cm to 3.5 cm), medium slender.

Pose.--Upward.

Vein.--Pink to red on back side of leaves.

6. Flowers:

Date of first and full bloom.--About April 15 and April 25 respectively in Halen, Belgium. About April 10 and April 21, respectively, in Yakima, Wash., U.S.A.

Size.--Medium large.

Overall color.--Light red (43-8).

Pedicels.--Red.

Sepals.--Green with light-red tips.

Stamens.--Dark red.

7. Fruit:

Maturity when described.--Eating ripe. (Specimens described were grown and observed at Halen, Belgium, and at Yakima, Wash., U.S.A.

Size.--Large, uniform.

Axial diameter.--About 7.5 cm to 8.5 cm.

Horizontal diameter.--About 6.5 cm to 7.5 cm.

Form.--Regular, uniform, round to slightly conical, sides equal, rounded at base.

Cavity.--Acute, medium width, medium depth, symmetrical. reddish-green, very slight russet.

Basin.--Abrupt, symmetrical, five crowned, regular, medium width, medium depth.

Markings.--None.

Stem.--Long, slender (3 cm to 4 cm).

Calyx.--Partly open, calyx lobe persist and separate at base.

Calyx lobes.--Reflexed and divergent.

Pubescence.--Slight.

8. Skin: Smooth, glossy, medium thickness.

Stem cavity.--Reddish-green.

Dot.--Small, conspicuous, few and scattered at base. (FIG. 3).

Suture.--None.

Color.--Broad red chimera-like stripes, almost 100% bright red (39-12) (FIGS. 3 and 4).

Flesh.--Solid, juicy.

Color.--Creamy white.

Texture.--Firm, fine, crisp, tender.

Flavor.--Sweet to sub-acid.

Aroma.--Fruity, distinct.

Quality.--Best.

9. Core: Median.

Bundle area.--Symmetrical, medium small.

Halves of area.--Equal.

Bundle.--Inconspicuous.

Core lines.--Indistinct, meeting, broadly heartshaped.

Cross section.--Indistinct.

Calyx tube.--Broad funnel-form.

Stem (cylinder) of funnel.--Short to medium long.

Depth of tube to shoulder.--Less than 1 cm.

Entire depth.--About 2 to 2.5 cm.

Style.--Present, united at base.

Stamen.--Median, in one whorl.

Seed cell (carpels).--Open, axile, symmetrical, smooth, heart-shaped.

10. Seeds: One or two per cell, not tufted, acute at point, 1 to 1.5 cm long, 0.5 to 1 cm wide, obtuse, dark-brown (32-15).

11. Ploidy: Triploid.

12. Use: Dessert, juice, culinary, fresh market.

13. Keeping quality: Very good, up to 7 months in standard cold storage.

14. Resistance to insects and diseases: Average for scab and mildew. Virus-tested and virus free. Propagation wood available.

15. Winter hardiness: Hardy, same as parent variety.

16. Precosity: Similar to parent (FIG. 2).

Claims

I claim:

1. A new variety of apple tree substantially as herein shown and described, characterized particularly as to novelty by its early coloring red fruits which differ from fruits produced by its parent variety Jonagold and from all other known sport varieties of red Jonagold by their distinct broadly striped red color pattern which remains are harvest.