Patent Application
20200288612
Botanical classification: Vaccinium corymbosum L.
Varietal denomination: The varietal denomination of the claimed variety of blueberry plant is ‘DrisBlueTwenty’.
Blueberry plants are perennial flowering plants with indigo-colored berries from the section Cyanococcus within the genus Vaccinium. Many commercially sold species with English common names, including blueberry, are currently classified in section Cyanococcus of the genus Vaccinium and come predominantly from North America. Many North American native species of blueberries are grown commercially in the Southern Hemisphere in Australia, New Zealand, and South American nations.
Vaccinium corymbosum, the northern highbush blueberry, is a North American species of blueberry which has become a food crop of significant economic importance. It is native to eastern Canada and the eastern and southern United States, from Ontario east to Nova Scotia and south as far as Florida and eastern Texas. It has been naturalized in Europe, Japan, New Zealand, and the Pacific Northwest of North America. Other common names include blue huckleberry, tall huckleberry, swamp huckleberry, high blueberry, and swamp blueberry.
Blueberries are usually erect, prostrate shrubs that can vary in size from approximately four inches to approximately 13 feet in height. In the commercial production of blueberries, the smaller species are known as “lowbush blueberries”, while the larger species are known as “highbush blueberries”.
Blueberry bushes typically bear fruit in the middle of the growing season. However, fruiting times can be affected by local conditions such as altitude and latitude. As such, peak crop can vary from May to August in the northern hemisphere, depending upon these conditions.
Blueberries are a popular fruit that is typically consumed as fresh fruit, individually quick frozen (IQF) fruit, or in prepared foods, such as purées, juices, jellies, jams, baked goods, snack foods, and cereals.
Blueberry is an important and valuable fruit crop. Accordingly, there is a need for new varieties of blueberry plant. In particular, there is a need for improved varieties of blueberry plant that are stable, high yielding, and agronomically sound.
In order to meet these needs, the present invention is directed to an improved variety of blueberry plant. In particular, the invention relates to a new and distinct variety of blueberry plant (Vaccinium corymbosum L. ), which has been denominated as ‘DrisBlueTwenty’.
Blueberry plant variety ‘DrisBlueTwenty’ originated from a cross between the proprietary female parent blueberry plant ‘G455’ (unpatented) and the proprietary male parent blueberry plant ‘MS122’ (unpatented). Progeny plants from this cross, including ‘DrisBlueTwenty’, were asexually propagated via cuttings in Monterey County, Calif. in July of 2004. Blueberry plant variety ‘DrisBlueTwenty’ was later specifically identified and selected in Skagit County, Wash. in August of 2004.
‘DrisBlueTwenty’ was subsequently asexually propagated via cuttings and underwent further testing in Linn County, Oreg. for eight years (2011 to 2018). The present blueberry variety has been found to be stable and reproduce true to type through successive asexual propagations via cuttings.
‘DrisBlueTwenty’ exhibits the following distinguishing characteristics when grown under normal horticultural practices in Linn County, Oreg.:
‘DrisBlueTwenty’ was selected as a vigorous and upright highbush blueberry variety having a chilling requirement of at least 1000 hours of winter temperatures below 7° C., and with fruit ripening mid- to late season that are medium to large in size, firm, with a heavy persistent waxy bloom.
This new blueberry plant variety is illustrated by the accompanying photographs. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. The photographs are of plants that are seven years old.
The following description sets forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘DrisBlueTwenty’. The data which define these characteristics is based on observations taken in Linn County, Oreg. from 2011 to 2018. 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. ‘DrisBlueTwenty’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The botanical description of ‘DrisBlueTwenty’ was taken from seven-year-old plants, unless noted otherwise. The indicated values represent averages calculated from measurements of several plants. Color references are primarily to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S) (2007 edition), Descriptive terminology follows the Plant identification Terminology, An Illustrated Glossary, 2nd edition by James G. Harris and Melinda Woolf Harris, unless where otherwise defined.
‘DrisBlueTwenty’ differs from the proprietary female parent and commercial blueberry plant variety ‘G455’ (unpatented) in that fruit of ‘DrisBlueTwenty’ are larger in size, have a more persistent waxy bloom, and are sweeter-tasting compared to fruit of ‘G455’.
‘DrisBlueTwenty’ differs from the proprietary male parent ‘MS122’ (unpatented) in that ‘DrisBlueTwenty’ has a much higher chilling requirement for proper reproductive and vegetative development and is more upright in growth habit when compared to ‘MS122’.
‘DrisBlueTwenty’ differs from the commercial blueberry plant variety ‘DrisBlueFourteen’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,622) in that leaves of ‘DrisBlueTwenty’ have a small length/width ratio and are ovate in shape, whereas leaves of ‘DrisBlueFourteen’ have a large length/width ratio and are elliptic in shape. Moreover, fruit of ‘DrisBlueTwenty’ have a round shape in longitudinal section with an incurving type of sepals, whereas fruit of ‘DrisBlueFourteen’ have an oblate shape in longitudinal section with a reflexed type of sepals. In addition, ‘DrisBlueTwenty’ is less susceptible to high temperature heat damage to leaves and fruit, is more vigorous growing, and has a more persistent waxy bloom on fruit when compared to ‘DrisBlueFourteen’.
