Strawberry plant named `San Juan`

Abstract

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry named `San Juan`. The variety is similar to the varieties `Commander` and `Lido`. The variety is distinguished from `Commander` and `Lido`, in particular, by its globose to flat globose habit, medium to strong interveinal blistering, weak to medium weak leaf glossiness, medium dense stipule pubescence, larger calyx diameter relative to the corolla, conical to almost cylindrical fruit, moderate differences in shapes of primary and secondary fruits, narrow band without achenes, and fruit with firm flesh and medium acidity.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new variety originated as a result of a controlled cross between the strawberry plants `Lido` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,534) and `33×257` (unpatented variety) in an ongoing breeding program, and was discovered as a seedling in a controlled breeding plot at Monterey County, Calif. in May, 1996. The original seedling of the new cultivar was asexually propagated by stolons at McArthur, Shasta County, Calif. Propagules were transplanted to a controlled breeding plot in Monterey County, Calif., where the variety was identified and selected for further evaluation. `San Juan` was subsequently asexually propagated and underwent further testing in the Monterey Bay area, California for three years. This propagation and testing has demonstrated that the combination of traits disclosed herein which characterize the new variety are fixed and retained true to type through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry named `San Juan`. The variety is botanically identified as Fragaria×ananassa. The new variety is distinguished from other varieties by a number of characteristics as set forth in Tables 1-6.

The varieties which we believe to be similar to `San Juan` from those known to us are `Commander` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,024) and `Lido` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,534). There are several characteristics of the new variety that are different from, or not possessed by `Commander` and `Lido`. The new variety has a globose to flat globose habit, medium to strong interveinal blistering, weak to medium weak leaf glossiness, medium dense stipule pubescence, a larger calyx diameter relative to the corolla, conical to almost cylindrical fruit, moderate differences in shapes of primary and secondary fruits, a narrow band without achenes, and fruit with firm flesh and medium acidity. Plants of 33×257 were lighter green and more vigorous than those of `San Juan`. Fruit size and flavor were inferior to the `San Juan` variety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying photographs show typical specimens of the new variety, including fruit, foliage and flowers, in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make in color illustrations of these characteristics.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up photo of the whole plant.

FIG. 2 shows the whole plant.

FIG. 3 shows the leaves of the plant.

FIG. 4 shows the upper side and the under side of the flowers.

FIG. 5 shows a close-up of the fruit.

FIG. 6 shows the fruit in longitudinal cross-section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following detailed description of the new variety is based upon observations taken of plants and fruit grown in Monterey County, Calif., U.S.A. Observations of `San Juan`, `Commander` and `Lido` were taken in side by side comparison in 1999. This description is in accordance with UPOV terminology. Color designations, color descriptions, and other phenotypical descriptions may deviate from the stated values and descriptions depending upon variation in environmental, seasonal, climatic and cultural conditions. Colors are described and the most similar color designations are provided from The Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S.) Colour Chart.

PROPAGATION

The new variety is principally propagated by way of stolons. Although propagation by stolons is presently preferred, other known methods of propagating strawberry plants may be employed.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEW VARIETY

Information on the new variety is presented in Tables 1, 2 and 3. In the tables, the flowers described are secondary flowers except where indicated. The petal color of `San Juan` is white, 155C in the R.H.S. Colour Chart. The fruit described is the secondary fruit on one year old plants. Fruit and flower measurements are an average of both primary and secondary fruit and flowers.

Table 1 provides information on the plant and fruit characteristics of the new variety `San Juan` compared with characteristics of `Commander` and `Lido`. Table 2 provides additional information of the plant and fruit characteristics of the new variety `San Juan` compared with characteristics of the varieties `Commander` and `Lido`. Table 3 provides reactions of the new variety to stresses as compared to the varieties `Commander` and `Lido`. Tables 4 and 5 provide information of the new variety's reaction to pests and diseases, respectively, compared to the varieties `Commander` and `Lido`. Table 6 provides isozyme characteristics of the new variety as compared to the varieties `Commander` and `Lido`.

The leaf margin is crenate. The leaf texture is blistered and the leaf shape is rounded. The mid vein color on the terminal leaflet is RHS 151B. Leaf venation is pinate.

The average petiole diameter is 0.4 cm. The average length of the petiole on the terminal leaflet is 1.3 cm.

Petal shape is ovate to rounded. The petal margin is entire. The petal texture is smooth to slightly crinkled. The shape of the petal apex is rounded and the petal base is obtuse. The average number of petals per flower is 6.4.

The average length of the sepal is 1.17 cm. The average width of the sepal is 0.63 cm. The average number of sepals is 12.7. The color of the upper side of the sepal is dark green (138A) and the color of the lower side of the sepal is medium green (138B).

The achene color is green-yellow to grayed red (150B to 180A). The average number of achenes per berry is 359.

The average number of stolons per plant is 16. Stolons are tapered with an average diameter of 3 mm near the point of origination (at the mother plant), which average diameter gradually increases to 5 mm near the point of termination (at the daughter plant).

The anthocyanin pigmentation of various plant organs is red to purple in color.

The texture of the flesh is firm melting.

The initial bloom on the `San Juan` variety occurs in early-March to mid-April in the vicinity of Watsonville, Calif. and continues until late fall.

TABLE 1
DETAILED COMPARISON of `SAN JUAN`, `COMMANDER`, AND
`LIDO`
	San Juan	Commander	Lido
Plant Characteristics
Height of Plant (cm)	28.0	24.1	26.4
Spread of Plant (cm)	47.1	46.8	43.9
Number of Crowns	4.6	3.9	2.6
Leaf Characteristics
Terminal Leaflet Width	7.6	7.1	7.9
(cm)
Terminal Leaflet Length	8.0	7.7	7.4
(cm)
Terminal Leaflet	1.05	1.09	0.93
Length/Width Ratio
Number of Teeth/Terminal	22.3	17.2	20.2
Leaflet
Color of upper side of leaf	Medium to	Medium	Medium to
	dark	green	dark
	green	147A	green
	147A		147A
Color of under side of leaf	Light	Light	Light
	green	green	green
	147C	147C	147C
Petiole Length (cm)	23.8	22.1	19.4
Petiole color	yellow	yellow	yellow
	green	green	green
	149A	149A	149A
Bract Frequency	58%	17%	58%
	Single or	Single only	Single or
	paired		paired,
			typically
			single
Stipule Length (cm)	3.4	3.2	2.9
Stipule Width (cm)	1.0	0.9	0.9
Flower Characteristics
Petal Width (cm)	1.42	1.34	1.28
Petal Length (cm)	1.30	1.27	1.08
Petal Length/Width	0.92	0.94	0.84
Ratio
Flower Diameter (cm)	3.3	3.2	2.8
Calyx Diameter (cm)	3.9	3.9	3.1
Fruit Characteristics
Fruit Width (cm)	4.1	4.5	4.8
Fruit Length (cm)	4.6	4.7	4.3
Fruit Length/Width	1.13	1.04	0.91
Ratio
Average Berry Size (g)	27.5	24.5	23.8
Fruit Skin Color	Dark Red	Orange	Orange
	53B	red	Red
		45A	46A
Fruit Flesh Color	Red	Light red	Pale rose
	44A	to orange	41B &
	and	red	white
	white	41A &
	155A	white
Total Yield (g/plant)	1,212	1,399	671

TABLE 2
CHARACTERISTICS OF `SAN JUAN`, `COMMANDER`, AND `LIDO`
	San Juan	Commander	Lido
Plant
Habit	globose to	flat globose	globose
	flat globose
Density	medium	medium	open
Vigor	medium	medium	weak
Leaf
Shape in	flat to	slightly	concave
cross	slightly	concave
section	convex
Interveinal	medium to	weak	medium
blistering	strong
Glossiness	weak to medium	weak	medium weak
	weak
Number of	sometimes	3 only	3 only
leaflets	more than 3
	(approx. 17%
	of leaves)
Terminal	revolute to	flat	flat
leaflet	flat
margin
profile
Terminal	obtuse to	rounded	obtuse
leaflet	rounded
shape of
base
Terminal	rounded	obtuse	rounded
leaflet
shape of
teeth
Stipule	medium dense	medium	sparse to
pubescence			medium
Petiole	medium	medium	sparse to
pubescence			medium
Petiole	outward to	outward	outward to
pose of	downward		upward
hairs
Stolon
Number	16	--	--
Anthocyanin	strong	--	--
coloration
Thickness	3-5 mm	--	--
Pubescence	medium	--	--
Inflorescence
Position	beneath to	level with to	level with to
relative to	level with	above	above
foliage
Diameter of	larger	same size to	same size
calyx		larger
relative to
corolla
Diameter of	same size	same size	larger
inner calyx
relative to
outer
Spacing of	overlapping	overlapping	overlapping
petals
Fruiting Truss
Attitude at	prostrate	prostrate	erect to semi-
first			erect
picking
Length	medium	medium	short to
			medium
Fruit
Predominant	conical to	conical to bi-	cordate
shape	almost	conical
	cylindrical
Difference	moderate	slight	moderate to
in shapes			marked
between
primary and
secondary
fruits
Band	narrow	narrow to	very narrow
without		medium
achenes
Unevenness	medium	weak	medium
of surface
Evenness of	even	slightly	even
color		uneven
Glossiness	very strong	strong	very strong
Insertion	level with	level with	below to level
of achenes	surface	surface	with surface
Insertion	level	level	in a basin
of calyx
Pose of the	spreading to	spreading	spreading to
calyx	reflexed		reflexed
segments
Size of	same size	same size	smaller
calyx in
relation to
fruit
Adherence of	strong	strong	strong
calyx
Firmness of	firm	medium	medium firm
flesh
Evenness of	slightly	slightly uneven	slightly uneven
flesh color	uneven to even
Distribution	marginal and	marginal and	only marginal
of flesh	central	central	to marginal and
color			central
Hollow	medium	medium	absent
center size
Sweetness	medium to	medium to strong	strong
	strong
Texture when	medium	medium	medium
tasted
Acidity	medium	weak to medium	weak
Time of	medium to late	early to medium	early to medium
Flowering
Harvest	week ending May	week ending	week ending
Interval	1, 1999 to week	April 17, 1999	April 24, 1999
	ending October	to week ending	to week ending
	30, 1999	October 30, 1999	October 30, 1999
Time of	partially	partially	partially
Bearing	everbearing	everbearing	everbearing

REACTION TO STRESS

	TABLE 3
	San Juan	Commander	Lido
Reaction to Stress
high pH	Moderately	Moderately	Moderately
	Resistant	Resistant	Resistant
high soil salt	Moderately	Moderately	Moderately
levels	Resistant	Resistant	Resistant

PEST AND DISEASE RESISTANCE AND SUSCEPTIBILITY

	TABLE 4
	San Juan	Commander	Lido
Reaction to Pests
Tetranychus	moderately	moderately	susceptible
urticae	susceptible	susceptible
Aphis spp.	susceptible	susceptible	susceptible
Lygus hesperus	susceptible	susceptible	susceptible

	TABLE 5
	`San Juan`	`Commander`	`Lido`
Reaction to
Diseases
Botrytis fruit	susceptible	susceptible	moderately
rot			resistant
Powdery mildew	moderately	--	--
	susceptible
Verticillium	susceptible	susceptible	susceptible
wilt
Strawberry	moderately	moderately	moderately
Mottle Virus	resistant	resistant	resistant
Xanthomonas	moderately	moderately	moderately
fragariae	susceptible	susceptible	susceptible

ISOZYME ANALYSIS

In addition to the morphological description above, the new cultivar `San Juan` has been analyzed to obtain an indication of its genetic makeup to provide further means for identifying the new variety and distinguishing it from some other somewhat similar and/or related strawberry varieties. Specifically, leaf samples of `San Juan`, `Commander`, and `Lido` were analyzed by electrophoresis for isozyme patterns of the enzymes phosphoglucoisomerase (PGI), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and phosphoglucomutase (PGM). See J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 106:684-687. Isozyme characterization of the three varieties is presented in Table 4, with the letters representing the banding patterns for each enzyme as designated in the above-identified article.

TABLE 6
ISOZYME ANALYSIS FOR `SAN JUAN`,
`COMMANDER`, AND `LIDO`
	Locus	San Juan	Commander	Lido
	PGI	A2	A4	A3
	LAP	B3	B3	B3
	PGM	C4	C4	C2

Claims

1. A new and distinct variety of strawberry plant, substantially as shown and described.