Strawberry plant named ‘Driscoll Sanibel’

Abstract

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry named ‘Driscoll Sanibel.’ The variety is similar to the varieties ‘Biscayne’ and ‘Key Largo.’ The variety is distinguished from ‘Biscayne’ and ‘Key Largo,’ in particular, by its smaller number of teeth on the terminal leaflets, longer fruit length, greater number of achenes per berry, greater average fruit yield, flat terminal leaflet margin profile, and moderate resistance to Verticillium.

Description

1. Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: The variety is botanically identified as Fragaria×ananassa.

1.1 Variety denomination: The strawberry variety denomination is ‘Driscoll Sanibel’.

2. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new variety originated as a result of a controlled cross between the strawberry plants ‘10D213’ (unpatented variety) and ‘88E94’ (unpatented variety) in an ongoing breeding program, and was discovered as a seedling in Hillsborough, Fla. in 1999. The original seedling of the new cultivar was asexually propagated by stolons in a Nursery in Shasta County, Calif. Propagules were transplanted to a controlled breeding plot in Hillsborough County, Fla., where the variety was identified and selected for further evaluation. ‘Driscoll Sanibel’ was subsequently asexually propagated and underwent further testing in Hillsborough County, Fla. 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.

3. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry named ‘Driscoll Sanibel.’ 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 to 4.

4. COMPARISON TO SIMILAR VARIETIES

The varieties which we believe to be similar to ‘Driscoll Sanibel’ from those known to us are ‘Biscayne’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,186) and ‘Key Largo’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,649). There are several characteristics of the new variety that are different from, or not possessed by ‘Biscayne’ and ‘Key Largo’. The new variety has a smaller number of teeth on the terminal leaflets, a longer fruit length, a greater number of achenes per berry, a greater average fruit yield, a flat terminal leaflet margin profile, and a moderate resistance to Verticillium.

‘Driscoll Sanibel’ is distinguished from its maternal parent ‘10D213’ by its larger average berry size, less vigor, and a more open plant canopy. ‘Driscoll Sanibel’ is distinguished from its paternal parent ‘88E94’ by its larger average berry size, improved shipping ability, and partial everbearing in comparison to the full everbearing of ‘88E94’.

5. 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 the upper side of the leaves of the plant.

FIG. 2 shows the whole the plant.

FIG. 3 shows the under side and underside of the flowers.

FIG. 4 shows a close-up of the fruit.

FIG. 5 shows the fruit in longitudinal cross-section.

6. DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following detailed description of the new variety is based upon observations taken of plants and fruit grown in Hillsborough County, Fla., U.S.A. This description is in accordance with UPOV terminology. Observations of ‘Driscoll Sanibel’, ‘Biscayne’ and ‘Key Largo’ were taken in side by side comparison in the 2003-2004 winter season. Plants for observation were harvested from McArthur, Calif., and held in refrigerated storage until planting in Hillsborough county, Fla. in October 2003. Plants were grown in raised beds of soil under conditions typical of commercial strawberry production in central Florida. Fruits were harvested twice weekly for yield determination from November 2003 to March 2004. Measurements of plant, flower, and fruit characteristics were made in January 2004, approximately four months after planting. 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.

6.1 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.

6.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEW VARIETY

Information on the new variety is presented in Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4. In the tables, the flowers described are secondary flowers except where indicated. The fruit described is the secondary fruit on five month 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 ‘Driscoll Sanibel’ compared with characteristics of ‘Biscayne’ and ‘Key Largo.’ Table 2 provides additional information of the plant and fruit characteristics of the new variety ‘Driscoll Sanibel’ compared with characteristics of the varieties ‘Biscayne’ and ‘Key Largo.’ Table 3 provides reactions of the new variety to stresses, pests and diseases compared with reactions of the varieties ‘Biscayne’ and ‘Key Largo.’ Table 4 provides isozyme characteristics of the new variety as compared to that of the varieties ‘Biscayne’ and ‘Key Largo.’

TABLE 1
QUANTITATIVE COMPARISON OF ‘DRISCOLL SANIBEL’,
‘BISCAYNE,’ AND ‘KEY LARGO’
	‘Driscoll
	Sanibel’	‘Biscayne’	‘Key Largo’
Plant Characteristics
Height of Plant (cm)	13.3	10.0	11.6
Spread of Plant (cm)	32.7	31.3	32.1
Number of Crowns	3.7	3.2	4.2
Leaf Characteristics
Terminal Leaflet	7.7	7.6	8.4
Length (cm)
Terminal Leaflet	8.1	8.1	8.0
Width (cm)
Terminal Leaflet	0.96	0.93	1.06
Length/Width Ratio
# Teeth/Terminal	19.2	27	21.6
Leaflet
Color of upper side	131B	137A	137A
	medium green	light green	light green
Color of under side	142C	139C	139C
	light green	light gray	light gray
		green	green
Petiole Length (cm)	11.9	9.2	11.5
Petiole Color	145D	142D	142D
	yellow green	yellow green	yellow green
Petiolule Length (mm)	6.5	5.5	6.3
Petiolule Diameter	2.1	2.2	1.9
(mm)
Petiolule Color	145D	142D	142D
	yellow green	yellow green	yellow green
Bract Frequency	25%	83%	0%
	typically	typically
	paired	paired
Stipule Length (cm)	3.7	3.7	3.4
Stipule Width (cm)	1.8	2.0	1.5
Stolon Characteristics
Anthocyanin color	53A	59B
	red	red
Diameter at bract	3.21	3.24	3.30
(mm)
Avg. # of Daughter	52	72	52
plants (2003 Nursery)
Flower Characteristics
Petal Length (cm)	1.51	1.36	1.65
Petal Width (cm)	1.34	1.49	1.46
Petal Length/Width	1.13	0.91	1.13
Ratio
Flower Diameter (cm)	3.05	2.76	2.72
Calyx Diameter (cm)	4.36	3.86	5.11
Sepal Length (mm)	17.0	15.3	21.5
Sepal Width (cm)	8.0	7.22	9.15
Petal Color	155C	155C	155C
	white	white	white
Receptical Color	149B	150A	150A
	yellow green	yellow green	yellow green
Anther Color	9A yellow	9A yellow	9A yellow
Fruiting Truss Length	12.9	8.7	13.6
(cm)
Fruit Characteristics
Fruit Length (cm)	5.8	4.8	4.8
Fruit Width (cm)	4.4	4.0	3.5
Fruit Length/Width	1.31	1.20	1.37
Ratio
Average Berry Weight	32.4	26.5	23.2
(g)
External Color	43A	46B	46B
	red	red	red
Internal Color	40C	44A	44B
	orange red	medium red	medium red
Achene Coloration	182A to 150C	180B to 150C	182B to 150A
	greyed red to	greyed red to	greyed red to
	yellow green	yellow green	yellow green
Achenes per berry	130	109	104
Achene weight (g)	0.00077	0.00046	0.00058
2003-2004 Fruit Yield	351	243	251
(g/plant)

TABLE 2
QUALITATIVE COMPARISON OF ‘DRISCOLL SANIBEL’,
‘BISCAYNE,’ AND ‘KEY LARGO’
	‘Sanibel’	‘Biscayne’	‘Key Largo’
Plant
Habit	flat	flat globose	globose
Canopy Density	medium	medium	medium
Vigor	strong	strong	medium
Leaf
Shape in cross section	slightly	concave	slightly
	concave		concave
Interveinal blistering	medium to	weak	weak
	strong
Glossiness	medium	medium	medium
Number of leaflets	three only	three only	three only
Terminal leaflet margin	flat	revolute	revolute
profile
Terminal leaflet shape of base	obtuse	rounded	slightly
			oblique
Terminal leaflet shape of teeth	rounded	rounded	rounded
Stipule pubescence	medium	medium	medium
Petiole pubescence	medium	medium	medium
Petiole pose of hairs	outward to	outwards	upward
	downward
Stolon
Anthocyanin coloration	strong	strong
Thickness	medium	medium
Pubescence	medium	medium
Inflorescence
Position relative to foliage	beneath to	level	level to
	level with		above
Diameter of calyx relative to	same size to	larger	much larger
corolla on secondary flowers	larger
Diameter of inner calyx	larger	same size	smaller
relative to outer on secondary
flowers
Spacing of petals	touching to	overlapping	overlapping
	overlapping
Fruiting Truss
Attitude at first picking	prostrate	prostrate	semi-erect
Fruit
Predominant shape	conical	conical	conical
Difference in shapes between	slight	slight	slight
primary and secondary fruits
Band without achenes	narrow	narrow	narrow
Unevenness of surface	medium	weak	weak
Evenness of color	even	even	even
Glossiness	strong	strong	strong
Insertion of achenes	level with	level with	below
	surface	surface	surface
Insertion of calyx	level	level	set above
Pose of the calyx segments	spreading to	spreading	reflexed
	reflexed
Size of calyx in relation to	larger	larger	larger
fruit on secondary fruit
Adherence of calyx	strong	strong	strong
Firmness of flesh	medium	firm	firm
Evenness of flesh color	slightly	slightly	slightly
	uneven	uneven	uneven
Distribution of flesh color	marginal and	marginal and	marginal and
	central	central	central
Hollow center size	medium	large	medium
Sweetness	strong	strong	medium
Texture when tasted	fine	fine	medium
Acidity	medium	medium	medium
Time of First Flowering in	Early	Mid-	Late
2003-2004	November	November	November
Harvest Interval in 2003-2004	Late	Early	Late
	November to	December to	December to
	Mid-March	Mid-March	Mid-March
Type of Bearing	partially	partially	partially
	everbearing	everbearing	everbearing

6.3 REACTION TO STRESS, PESTS, AND DISEASE

TABLE 3
REACTIONS TO STRESS PESTS AND DISEASES FOR ‘DRISCOLL
SANIBEL’, ‘BISCAYNE,’ AND ‘KEY LARGO’
	‘Driscoll
	Sanibel’	‘Biscayne’	‘Key Largo’
Reaction to Pests
Tetranychus urticae	susceptible	susceptible	moderately
			susceptible
Lygus hesperus	susceptible	susceptible	susceptible
Reaction To Diseases
Botrytis fruit rot	susceptible	susceptible	susceptible
Powdery mildew	susceptible	moderately	susceptible
		susceptible
Verticillium wilt	susceptible	susceptible	susceptible
Strawberry Mottle Virus	moderately	moderately	moderately
	resistant	resistant	resistant
Xanthomonas fragariae	moderately	moderately	moderately
	susceptible	susceptible	susceptible

6.4 ISOZYME ANALYSIS

In addition to the morphological description above, the new cultivar ‘Driscoll Sanibel’ has been analyzed to obtain an indication of its genetic makeup to provide further means for identifying the new variety and distinguishing it from other somewhat similar and/or related strawberry varieties. Specifically, leaf samples of ‘Driscoll Sanibel’, ‘Biscayne’ and ‘Key Largo’ 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 4
ISOZYME ANALYSIS FOR ‘DRISCOLL SANIBEL’, ‘BISCAYNE,’
AND ‘KEY LARGO’
		‘Driscoll
	Locus	Sanibel’	‘Biscayne’	‘Key Largo’
	PGI	A1	A1	A1
	LAP	B3	B3	B3
	PGM	C2	C4	C4

Claims

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