Grapevine plant named ‘SUNNY HEART’

Abstract

A new variety of grapevine ‘SUNNY HEART’ that has green leaves and berries having a broad ellipsoid shape, red skin, and muscat flavor.

Description

Common name: Grapevine.

Botanical classification: Vitis labrusca L. x Vitis vinifera L.

Variety denomination: ‘SUNNY HEART’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Japanese plant variety rights application No. 37121 filed Nov. 13, 2023, the entire content of which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of grapevine, Vitis labrusca L. x Vitis vinifera L., which has been given the variety denomination ‘SUNNY HEART’.

This new grapevine has green young leaves, R.H.S. Colour Chart: 148C, and berries having a broad ellipsoid shape, red skin, and muscat flavor, that distinguish it, notably from its male parent ‘SHINE MUSCAT’ (berries having yellow green skin) and female parent ‘626-84’ (berries having dark red violet skin and sharp brisk flavor), as well as from reference varieties ‘SEKIREI’ (reddish young leaves, R.H.S. Colour Chart: 183B, 144A, berries having narrow ellipsoid shape and pale red skin) and ‘KOTOPY’ (greenish-red young leaves, R.H.S. Colour Chart: 148C, 178B, berries having narrow ellipsoid shape and pale red skin).

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

The parent varieties are ‘SHINE MUSCAT’ (male parent) (not patented in the U.S.) and ‘626-84’ (female parent) (not patented in the U.S.), respectively.

The variety was developed and propagated in Akitsu, Hiroshima, Japan.

The variety was reproduced asexually in Akitsu, Hiroshima, Japan by vegetative reproduction by grafting one-year-old cuttings on rootstocks.

In 2004, seedlings from crossing the parent varieties and collecting seeds were grown.

In 2007, they were grafted on root stock.

In 2009, the first fruit was harvested and lines were selected having fruit with good taste.

In 2016, plants were selected and named ‘Akitsu 32’ as temporary name for purposes of confidential testing for local adaptability.

In 2018-2022, growing tests were performed under confidentiality conditions at thirty-seven testing stations in Japan.

In 2022, budding and berry ripening times were measured.

On Nov. 13, 2023, an application for plant variety rights No. 37121 was filed for the present variety in the Japanese Plant Variety Protection Office of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Japan.

Cultivation of the variety does not require special conditions or treatments.

The variety is currently mainly intended for fruit production (table grape).

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

The variety is distinguished by green young leaves, R.H.S. Colour Chart: 148C, and berries having a broad ellipsoid shape, red skin, and muscat flavor, that distinguish it, notably from its male parent ‘SHINE MUSCAT’ (berries having yellow green skin) and female parent ‘626-84’ (berries having dark red violet skin and sharp brisk flavor), as well as from reference varieties ‘SEKIREI’ (reddish young leaves, R.H.S. Colour Chart: 183B, 144A, berries having narrow ellipsoid shape and pale red skin) and ‘KOTOPY’ (greenish-red young leaves, R.H.S. Colour Chart: 148C, 178B, berries having narrow ellipsoid shape and pale red skin).

A comparison with the male parent ‘SHINE MUSCAT’ is as follows (evaluation based on averages):

TABLE 1
		Male parent	Present variety
		‘SHINE	‘SUNNY
		MUSCAT’	HEART’
No.	Characteristics	States	States
59	Mature leaf: depth of	medium	shallow
	upper lateral sinuses
63	Mature leaf: ratio length/	medium	small
	width of teeth
91	Berry: color of skin	yellow green	Red (RHS
	(without bloom)	(RHS 146C)	187B)

A comparison with the female parent ‘626-84’ is as follows (evaluation based on averages):

TABLE 2
		Female	Present variety
		parent	‘SUNNY
		‘626-84’	HEART’
No.	Characteristics	States	States
91	Berry: color of skin	dark red violet	Red (RHS
	(without bloom)	(RHS 184B)	187B)
101	Berry: particular flavor	sharp brisk	Muscat

A comparison with the reference varieties ‘SEKIREI’ is as follows (evaluation based on averages):

TABLE 3
		Reference	Present variety
		variety	‘SUNNY
		‘SEKIREI’	HEART’
No.	Characteristics	States	States
8	Young shoot: prostrate	absent or very	very dense
	hairs on tip	sparse
11	Young leaf: color of	dark copper-red	Green (RHS
	upper side of blade	(RHS 183B,	148C)
		144A)
12	Young leaf: prostrate	absent or very	very dense
	hairs between main	sparse
	veins on lower side
	of blade
57	Mature leaf: blistering	weak	medium to
	of upper side of blade		strong
59	Mature leaf: depth of	medium	shallow
	upper lateral sinuses
90	Berry: shape	narrow ellipsoid	broad ellipsoid

A comparison with the reference variety ‘KOTOPY’ is as follows (average evaluation):

TABLE 4
			Reference	Present variety
			variety	‘SUNNY
			‘KOTOPY’	HEART’
	No.	Characteristics	States	States
	11	Young leaf: color of	light copper-red	Green (RHS
		upper side of blade	(RHS 148C,	148C)
			178B)
	12	Young leaf: prostrate	dense	very dense
		hairs between main
		veins on lower side
	59	Mature leaf: depth of	medium	shallow
		upper lateral sinuses
	66	Mature leaf: prostrate	medium	dense
		hairs between main
		veins on lower side
	90	Berry: shape	narrow ellipsoid	broad ellipsoid

A comparison with both ‘SEKIREI’ and ‘KOTOPY’ is as follows (average evaluation):

TABLE 5
				Present
		Reference	Reference	variety
		variety	variety	‘SUNNY
		‘SEKIREI’	‘KOTOPY’	HEART’
No.	Characteristics	States	States	States
12	Young leaf: color	dark copper-	light copper-	green (RHS
	of upper side of	red (RHS	red (RHS	148C)
	blade	183B, 144A)	148C, 178B)
13	Young leaf: pro-	absent or very	dense	very dense
	strate hairs between	sparse
	main veins on
	lower side of blade
59	Mature leaf: depth	medium	medium	shallow
	of upper lateral
	sinuses
90	Berry: shape	narrow	narrow	broad
		ellipsoid	ellipsoid	ellipsoid

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings, which are as nearly true as is reasonable possible to make in a color illustration of this type:

FIG. 1 is a color photograph showing a general view of the grapevine named ‘SUNNY HEART’ bearing vine;

FIG. 2 is a color photograph showing a bunch of grapes on the vine of ‘SUNNY HEART’;

FIG. 3 is a color photograph showing flower clusters of ‘SUNNY HEART’;

FIG. 4 is a color photograph showing flowers of ‘SUNNY HEART’;

FIG. 5 is a color photograph showing the flowers and separated organs of ‘SUNNY HEART’;

FIG. 6 is a color photograph showing a bunch of grapes cut from a vine of ‘SUNNY HEART’;

FIG. 7 is a color photograph showing berries of ‘SUNNY HEART’;

FIG. 8 is a color photograph showing cross-sections of berries of ‘SUNNY HEART’;

FIG. 9 is a color photograph showing berry shapes of ‘SUNNY HEART’ as well as ‘SEKIREI’ and ‘KOTOPY’ for comparison purposes;

FIG. 10 is a color photograph showing the upper and lower sides of young leaves of ‘SUNNY HEART’ as well as ‘SEKIREI’ and ‘KOTOPY’ for comparison purposes;

FIG. 11 is a color photograph showing the lower sides of mature leaves of ‘SUNNY HEART’ as well as ‘SEKIREI’ and ‘KOTOPY’ for comparison purposes.

Due to chemical and/or digital development, processing and printing, the plants or portions of plants depicted in the photographs may or may not be precisely accurate, when compared to the actual botanical specimens.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The botanical description and the photographs are of the ‘SUNNY HEART’ plants evaluated in 2022 (including for the comparison with the reference plants ‘SEKIREI’ and ‘KOTOPY’. Values as provided are averages.

The plants shown on the photographs were grown at Akitsu, Hiroshima, Japan. The plant is a 5-year grown plant. The young leaf and flower were photographed on May 29, 2023, the mature leaf was photographed on Jun. 29, 2023, and the bunch and berry was photographed on Sep. 15, 2023.

Colors are given according to The R.H.S. (Royal Horticultural Society) Color Chart, Sixth Edition (2015).

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

TABLE 6
No.	Characteristics	States	Values
	Tree
1	Average height		180	cm
2	Average width		60	cm
3	Vigor	strong
4	Trunk diameter (at a		19.8	mm
	given height above		(at 20 cm
	soil line)		above soil
			line)
5	Grown on rootstock	Yes	Teleki
			selectia
			Kober 5BB
6	Time of bud burst	early	early April
			(approx.
			Apr. 7)
	Young shoot
7	Openness of tip	wide open
8	Prostrate hairs on tip	very dense
9	Anthocyanin coloration	absent or
	of prostrate hairs on tip	very weak
10	Erect hairs on tip	absent or
		very sparse
	Young leaf
11	Color of upper side of	green	148C (RHS)
	blade
12	Prostrate hairs between	very dense
	main veins on lower
	side of blade
13	Erect hairs on main	absent or
	veins on lower side of	very sparse
	blade
	Shoot
14	Average length of stem		186	cm
15	Average diameter of		22.0	mm
	stem
16	Texture of stem	rough
17	Color of stem	brown	N200C,
			200C (RHS)
18	Average length of		88	cm
	branches
19	Average diameter of		16.0	mm
	branches
20	Texture of branches	intermediate
21	Color of branches	grey-brown	199C,
			N199C
			(RHS)
22	Average length of		5.9	m
	shoots
23	Average diameter of		9.8	mm
	shoots
24	Texture of shoots	smooth
25	Color of shoots	green	144A (RHS)
26	Attitude (before tying)	semi-erect
27	Color of dorsal side	green and	144A, 183B
	of internodes	red	(RHS)
28	Color of ventral side	green	144A (RHS)
	of internodes
29	Shoot: color of	green and	144A, 183B
	dorsal side of nodes	red	(RHS)
30	Shoot: color of ventral	green	144A (RHS)
	side of nodes
31	Erect hairs on inter-	absent or
	nodes	very sparse
32	Length of tendrils	medium	19.4	cm
	Flower
33	Average size of		Width 1.5 mm,
	flower buds		Length 2 mm
34	Color of flower buds	green	144A (RHS)
35	Inflorescence	panicle
36	Average number of		5
	petals on the flower
37	Color of petals (top	green	144A (RHS)
	surface)
38	Color of petals	green	144B (RHS)
	(bottom surface)
39	Average petal size		Width 0.4 mm,
			Length 2 mm
40	Length of flower	medium	19.3	cm
	clusters
	Sexual organs
41	Sexual organs	fully
		developed
		stamens
		and fully
		developed
		gynoecium
42	Average size of		Width 6.0 mm,
	seeds		Length 8.3 mm
43	Average number		2.4
	of seeds
44	Average color of	greyed-	165B (RHS)
	seeds	orange
	Mature leaf
45	Leaf arrangement	Alternate
46	Color of leaf	green	137B (RHS)
	(top surface)
47	Color of leaf	yellow-	148C (RHS)
	(bottom surface)	green
48	Shape of leaf	wedged-
		shaped
49	Texture of leaf	medium to
	(top surface)	strong
		blistering
50	Texture of leaf	rough
	(bottom surface)
51	Vein color	yellow-	145C (RHS)
52	Average length	green	121	mm
	of petiole
53	Average diameter		3.9	mm
	of petiole
54	Color of petiole	yellow-	145B(RHS),
		green and	183D(RHS)
		greyed-
		purple
55	Size of blade	Small to	267	cm2
		medium
56	Shape of blade	wedged-
		shaped
57	Blistering of upper	medium to
	side of blade	strong
58	Number of lobes	five
59	Depth of upper	shallow	3.4	cm
	lateral sinuses
60	Arrangement of	open
	lobes of upper
	lateral sinuses
61	Arrangement of	slightly
	lobes of petiole	open
	sinus
62	Length of teeth	medium	4.8	mm
63	Ratio length/	small	0.56
	width of teeth
64	Shape of teeth	mixture of
		both sides
		straight and
		both sides
		convex
65	Proportion of	absent or
	main veins on	very low
	upper side of blade
	with anthocyanin
	coloration
66	Prostrate hairs	dense
	between main veins
	on lower side of
	blade
67	Erect hairs on main	absent or
	veins on lower side	very sparse
	of blade
68	Length of petiole	much	0.55
	compared to length	shorter
	of middle vein
	Fruit ripening
69	Date of first pick in	approx.
	specific location	Sep. 5
70	Date of last pick in	approx.
	specific location	Sep. 20
71	Time of beginning	medium	early August
	of berry ripening	to late	(approx.
			Aug. 5)
72	Pounds per bushels		About 890
	per acre		pounds/acre
73	Storability of fruit	12 days
	Bunch
74	Average bunches		5
	per plant
75	Average length of	large	183	mm
	bunch
76	Average width of		72	mm
	bunch
77	Average weight of		222.2	g
	bunch
78	Average number of		27.2
	grapes per bunch
79	Average length of	medium	58	mm
	peduncle
80	Average diameter		3.2	mm
	of peduncle
81	Average color of	light red	144A,
	peduncle		184D (RHS)
82	Size (peduncle	large	183	mm
	excluded)
83	Density	medium
84	Length of peduncle	medium	58	mm
	primary bunch
85	Color of peduncle	light red	144A, 184D
			(RHS)
	Berry
86	Average size of		Width 24.8 mm,
	berry		Length 26.0 mm
87	Color of berry skin	red	187B (RHS)
88	Color of berry flesh		144D (RHS)
89	Size	large	9.5	g
90	Shape	broad
		ellipsoid
91	Color of skin (with-	red	187B (RHS)
	out bloom)
92	Bloom	many
93	Ease of detachment	medium
	from pedicel
94	Thickness of skin	thin to
		medium
95	separation of skin	difficult
	and flesh
96	Anthocyanin color-	absent or
	ation of flesh	very weak
97	Firmness of flesh	medium
98	Character of flesh	collapse
99	Sweetness of flesh	high	20.7%
	juice
100	Juiciness of flesh	very juicy
101	Particular flavor	Muscat
102	Formation of seeds	complete
	Woody shoot
103	Main color	orange	177B (RHS)
		brown
	Ecotype
104	Flower shatter	medium

• Other features of the plant are as follows:
  • • Disease resistance.—Normal resistance was observed for pests and diseases in Akitsu, Hiroshima, Japan. Fungicide treatment was considered necessary against the following diseases: Peronospora (Plasmopara), Oidium, Botrytis.

Claims

1. A new and distinct variety of grapevine named ‘SUNNY HEART’, substantially as described and illustrated herein.