Patent Grant
PP20642
Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Vaccinium hybrid.
Variety denomination: ‘C97-390’.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct perennial variety of Vaccinium hybrid (Southern Highbush Blueberry), which has been given the variety denomination of ‘C97-390’. Its market class is that of a fruiting plant. ‘C97-390’ is intended for use as fresh fruit for shipping, customer pick and processing markets and as a home garden plant.
The new Vaccinium hybrid cultivar is a selection resulting from seedlings produced in a controlled breeding programme of Vaccinium at Gainesville, Fla., USA in 1994 from a cross of seed parent ‘F92-84’ (unpatented) and pollen parent ‘F95-54’ (unpatented). The new cultivar was discovered and selected as a single plant within a population of plants of Vaccinium hybrids in 1997 in a commercial field plantation environment at Corindi Beach, New South Wales, Australia. Selection criteria was a combination of upright to bushy plant shape and strong plant growth vigor, evergreen foliage, earliness of flowering and fruiting, large fruit size, firm fruit suited to handling, attractive dark blue fruit color and small picking scar. The selection was subsequently evaluated for a number of years at the commercial farms of BerryExchange at Corindi Beach, New South Wales, Australia.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cutting propagation since 1997 at Corindi Beach, New South Wales, Australia and has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.
The new variety has been primarily compared to the variety ‘Sharpe Blue’ (unpatented). In Corindi Beach, New South Wales, Australia the time of fruit ripening of ‘C97-390’ is classified as very early to early whereas the time of fruit ripening of ‘Sharpe Blue’ is classified as ‘mid-season’. The earlier time of fruit ripening of ‘C97-390’ allows for a greater period of production on farm and an ability to supply fresh fruit markets at an earlier date than ‘Sharpe Blue’. The time of vegetative bud burst of ‘C97-390’ is ‘late’ whereas the time of vegetative bud burst of ‘Sharpe Blue’ is ‘early to mid-season’. The time of beginning of flowering of ‘C97-390’ is classified as ‘very early to early’ whereas the time of beginning of flowering of time of ‘Sharpe Blue’ is classified as ‘early to mid-season’. The time of fruit ripening of ‘C97-390’ is classified as ‘very early to early’ whereas ‘Sharpe Blue’ is classified as ‘mid-season’. Therefore one of the attributes of the new variety is that it has vegetative bud burst later than ‘Sharpe Blue’, yet it flowers and ripens earlier than ‘Sharpe Blue’. The plant growth habit of ‘C97-390’ is ‘upright to bushy’ whereas the plant growth habit of ‘Sharpe Blue’ is ‘bushy to spreading’. The leaf width of ‘C97-390’ is ‘medium’ (25–30 mm) whereas the leaf width of ‘Sharpe Blue’ is ‘broad’ (40–45 mm). The berry color of ‘C97-390’ is a dark blue whereas the berry color of ‘Sharpe Blue’ is a lighter blue. The berry firmness of ‘C97-390’ is firm whereas ‘Sharpe Blue’ is soft. The picking scar of ‘C97-390’ is classified as ‘dry’ whereas the picking scar of ‘Sharpe Blue’ is ‘wet’. This combination of fruiting attributes results in ‘C97-390’ being a more suitable variety for commercial handling including picking and packing than ‘Sharpe Blue’.
The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedly observed and can be used to distinguish ‘C97-390’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Vaccinium hybrid plant:
The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typical flower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in the photographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed description, which accurately describes the colors of ‘C97-390’.
The following is a detailed botanical description of a new and distinct variety of an Vaccinium hybrid ornamental plant known as ‘C97-390’. Plant observations were made on plants grown in Corindi Beach, New South Wales, Australia. Unless indicated otherwise, the descriptions disclosed herein are based upon observations made from August to September 2007 of mature ‘C97-390’ plants (age 4 years) grown in outdoor field plantings with day temperature ranging from 21° C. to 23° C., night temperatures ranging from 10° C. to 12° C., and light levels ranging from 6 to 8 klux. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain characteristics will vary with older or, conversely, younger plants. ‘C97-390’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. Where dimensions, sizes, colors and other characteristics are given, it is to be understood that such characteristics are approximations or averages set forth as accurately as practicable. The phenotype of the variety may vary with variations in the environment such as season, temperature, light quality, light intensity, day length, cultural conditions and the like. Color notations are based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, 1995 edition.
