A new and distinct variety of grapevine denominated ‘Autumn King’ which is characterized by its late season ripening seedless fruit, attractive pale green coloration, its cylindrical to ovoid fruit shape, its firm fruit texture with neutral sweet flavor, and its medium to tight cluster.

Patent
   PP16284
Priority
Sep 28 2004
Filed
Sep 28 2004
Issued
Feb 21 2006
Expiry
Mar 08 2025
Extension
161 days
Assg.orig
Entity
unknown
1
0
n/a
1. A new and distinct variety of grapevine plant, ‘Autumn King’, substantially as illustrated and described, characterized by its attractive pale green fruit color, cylindrical to ovoid fruit shape, and firm flesh texture with a neutral sweet flavor.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of grapevine, Vitis vinifera L., which will hereinafter be denominated varietally as the ‘Autumn King’ grapevine, and, more particularly, to a grapevine which has fruit maturing for commercial harvesting and shipment approximately October 23 in the San Joaquin Valley of central California. The fruit has an attractive pale green skin coloration at maturity with large cylindrical to ovoid shape seedless berries.

The grapevine of the present invention originated from a hand-pollinated cross of United States Department of Agriculture selection ‘A61-20’ (unpatented) and the United States Department of Agriculture selection ‘B99-131’ (unpatented) made in 1993 at the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Postharvest Quality and Genetics Research Unit plots at California State University, Fresno, in Fresno Calif. The female was ‘A61-20’, a seeded white-fruited grapevine having large size, ovoid berries with firm flesh and good skin, and a neutral flavor. The fruit of the ‘A61-20’ ripen about two weeks before the instant variety. The pollen parent was ‘B99-131’, a seedless white fruited grape with very large size, oval berries with medium skin and medium firm flesh. The fruit of the ‘B99-131’ grapevine ripen one month before the variety of the subject invention. Both of the parents of the instant cultivar are hybrids of the grapevine genus and species Vitis vinifera L.

The seeds resulting from this controlled hybridization were germinated in the greenhouse during the winter and spring of 1994. The resulting seedling population totaled 534 individual plants. All seedlings were planted in the spring of 1994 in a vineyard at the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service plots on the California State University, Fresno, campus in Fresno, Calif. The seedlings fruited in the summer of 1996 and one, the grapevine of the present invention, was designated as ‘C67-120’ and selected for its attractive pale green seedless, medium firm, large berry size, good fruit quality and late maturity.

In 1997 at the inventors' direction, the grapevine of the subject invention was propagated asexually by rooting hardwood cuttings at Fresno, Calif. and a test planting of two grapevines of the subject invention was established in the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service plots on the California State University, Fresno campus. Subsequently in 1998 a larger test planting of 24 vines was established with rooted hardwood cuttings of the instant invention. The instant cultivar rooted readily from hardwood cuttings. All grapevines of the new variety planted from hardwood cutting propagation, fruited in the third season of growth after planting. All propagules, or resulting plants, of the present invention have been observed by the inventors to be true to type in that all asexual reproduced grapevines of the variety possessed the characteristics identical to those of the original parent grapevine.

The grapevines of the subject invention possess medium vigor and have produced fruit as own-rooted grapevines. The size of the grapevines was determined by growing the grapevines on a three cross arm ‘T’ type trellis structure with a top cross arm of 122 cm in length set 189 cm above the ground; a second cross arm of 102 cm in length set 156 cm above the ground; and a third cross arm 91 cm in length set 125 cm above the ground. The trellis structure had two wires per cross arm and indicted a grapevine height of 200 cm and a grapevine spread of 199 cm.

The fruit of the new variety ripens late, about 8 weeks after the ‘Thompson Seedless’ (non-patented) and 4 weeks after ‘Autumn Seedless’ (non-patented). The average ripening date in Fresno, Calif. is October 23. Berries adhere medium well to the fruit pedicel and have minimal shatter from the clusters during storage. The fruit is pale green in color at maturity. The fruit shape is cylindrical to ovoid. Fruit skins are medium thick and similar to the ‘Thompson Seedless’ grapevine. ‘Autumn King’ differs from ‘Thompson Seedless’, ripening 8 weeks later. The pulp of the fruit adheres to the skins of the berry and the fruit texture is firm and meaty. The berries are large to very large in size, or 9.8 grams. The flavor of the fruit is sweet and has been rated good. Soluble solids concentration of the juice at fruit maturity averages 18.6% with titratable acid of 0.31 grams/100 milliliters of juice. The fruit is of the stenospermocarpic type of seedlessness and contains small, aborted seed traces that are not noticeable when eaten. The fruit clusters are usually borne on the average of 1.02 per shoot on cane pruned vines. The fruit clusters are conical and are medium in size, or 539 grams, medium to slightly tight and attractive. The fruit cluster peduncles are medium in length.

The grapevine and fruit of the new variety are susceptible to powdery mildew disease of grape plants. A spray program for powdery mildew disease control is required.

The drawings of the grapevine of the present invention are color photographs showing in FIG. 1 a typical specimen of the fruit and in FIG. 2 a shoot with leaves and a flower cluster all of the new variety of the present invention.

The color of the phtographs is as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to provide in such color photographs. Description of the new invention applies to vines of ‘Autumn King’ grown on its own roots at a density of 1,119 vines per hectare in Fresno County, Calif. in 2002. These vines were in their second year of full production having been planted in 1998.

The new variety cv. ‘Autumn King’ may be distinguished from other commercial grape cultivars known to us by a combination of characteristics, including its late season ripening seedless fruit with attractive pale green coloration, its medium firm fruit texture with a neutral sweet flavor, its cylindrical to ovoid fruit shape and its medium to tight cluster.

The new variety of grapevine is most similar to its pollen parent ‘B99-131’ by having similar berry size and pale green fruit. It is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon in a number of fruit characteristics. The flesh of the new variety is firmer, the skin color is more attractive not showing veins. The berry shape is cylindrical to ovoid compared to the oval to round berries of ‘B99-131’. The most distinguishing difference is the maturity time, being 4 weeks later thatn the pollen parent. The new grapevine is also similar to the commercial varieties ‘Thompson Seedless’ and ‘Autumn Seedless’ in that they have pale green seedless neutral flavored fruit. It is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon in that the berries of tne new variety are larger that those of ‘Thompson Seedless’ and ‘Autumn Seedless’. It is also distinguished from ‘Thompson Seedless’ and ‘Autumn Seedless’ by ripening 8 and 4 weeks later, respectively.

The new variety also differs substantially from its mother parent ‘A61-20’. It is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon in that the new variety is seedless, having small aborted (stenospermocarpic) seeds, while ‘A61-20’ is seeded with functional seeds. The berries of the new variety are substantially larger, being on average about 9.8 grams, while the berries of ‘A61-20’ are about 6.8 grams.

Referring more specifically to the botanical details of this new and distinct variety of grapevine, the following has been observed under the ecological conditions prevailing at the orchard or origin which is located in Fresno in the San Joaquin Valley of central California. All major color code designations are by reference to the Dictionary of Color, by Maerz and Paul, First Edition, 1930. Common color names are also occasionally employed. Where dimensions, sizes, colors and other characteristics are given, it is to be understood that such characteristics are approximations of averages set forth as accurately as practicable. The description hereof was taken from specimens grown in Fresno, Calif. The grapevines used for measurement were grown in a fine sandy loam soil and the grapevines were irrigated using trickle, or drip irrigation. In a substantial part, the data hereof was from grapevines that were five (5) years old.

Although the new variety of grapevine possesses the described characteristics noted above as a result of the growing conditions prevailing in Fresno, Calif. in the central San Joaquin Valley of California, United States of America, it is to be understood that variations of the usual magnitude and characteristics incident to changes in growing conditions, training, irrigation, fertilization, pruning, pest control, climatic variation and the like are to be expected.

Ramming, David W., Tarailo, Ronald E.

Patent Priority Assignee Title
PP23422, Aug 25 2011 The United States of America, as represented by The Secretary of Agriculture Grapevine denominated ‘Valley Pearl’
Patent Priority Assignee Title
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Executed onAssignorAssigneeConveyanceFrameReelDoc
Sep 27 2004RAMMING, DAVID W AGRICULTURE, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARYASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS 0158590780 pdf
Sep 27 2004TARALIO, RONALD E AGRICULTURE, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARYASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS 0158590780 pdf
Sep 28 2004The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture(assignment on the face of the patent)
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