KIWI PLANT NAMED 'HORTGEM WHA'

Abstract

A new and distinct kiwi plant of the species Actinidia arguta (Sieb & Zucc.) Planch. ex Miq. var. arguta Li is described. The variety results from a controlled pollination using a female A. arguta selection AA05_01 of unknown parentage and a male A. arguta selection AA13_01 of unknown parentage. Both named parents (AA05_01 and AA13_01) are unpatented. The new variety is distinguished by its green hairless, edible skin, small fruit size, oblong shape and sweet aromatic taste.

Description

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

[0001] Kiwi plants in cultivation are mainly varieties of A. deliciosa, particularly ‘Hayward’ although some A. chinensis and A. arguta varieties are grown. A. deliciosa and A. chinensis are closely related, whereas A. arguta is classified in a separate section of the genus. A. deliciosa and A. chinensis varieties have large fruit (˜100 g) with hair on the skin. The main varieties in New Zealand are ‘Hayward’ (A. deliciosa) and ‘Hort16A’ (A. chinensis). Fruit are usually cut and eaten with a spoon. A arguta has small fruit (˜10 g) with no hair on the skin. The skin is edible so these fruit can be eaten whole, like a grape.

[0002] All Actinidia species are dioecious, so female varieties have to be interplanted with male pollinizers to ensure fruit production.

[0003] A. arguta vines are deciduous and tend to grow vigorously in spring and summer when rapidly-growing shoots can intertwine and tangle if not managed. Vines do best in a mild temperate climate without late spring or early autumn frosts. They produce consistent heavy crops when grown in well-drained fertile soils and given regular irrigation in dry spells.

[0004] A. arguta flowers in spring (late October-early December) in New Zealand. Harvest of A. arguta fruit may occur between early February and late March in New Zealand depending on the selection and location of plantings. Compared to A. deliciosa and A. chinensis, A. arguta fruit require more careful handling during harvest and post-harvest procedures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention is a new and distinctive kiwi plant having a small, generally oblong shaped fruit with green hairless edible skin. This new variety is designated ‘Hortgem Wha’ and is derived from a controlled pollination of AA05—01, a female A. arguta selection of unknown parentage (unpatented), with AA13—01, a male A. arguta selection of unknown parentage (unpatented).

[0006] The female parent arose from a seed family collected in the district Aomori, North Honshu, Japan and was introduced to New Zealand in 1977. The male parent was introduced as scionwood from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, Scotland to New Zealand in 1982. The provenance of both is unknown.

[0007] This new variety was created during the course of a planned plant-breeding program, which was initiated during 1987 at HortResearch in Auckland, New Zealand. The controlled cross was made in November 1987. Seeds were sown in autumn (March) 1988 and 102 seedlings from this cross were planted out in the field at HortResearch Kumeu Research Orchard in spring (October) 1988. The seedlings first fruited in February-March 1991. Twenty promising female seedlings were clonally propagated into a two-site replicated trial in 1995 and ‘Hortgem Wha’ (breeding code K2E5) was selected after storage and sensory evaluation in 1998.

[0008] The new variety can be asexually reproduced as cuttings or by grafting or budding on to seedling or cutting-grown rootstocks of A. arguta. Trial plantings as cuttings established in 1995 at Te Puke and Nelson Research Centres and on seedling rootstocks established in 1998 at these sites have shown that the unique combination of characters come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding asexual propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS

[0009] FIG. 1 shows typical fruit of the variety ‘Hortgem Wha’ in the orchard

[0010] FIG. 2 shows typical fruit of the variety ‘Hortgem Wha’ in the studio

[0011] FIG. 3 shows a stem end view ‘Hortgem Wha’ fruit

[0012] FIG. 4 shows a stylar end view of “Hortgem Wha” fruit

[0013] FIG. 5 shows ‘Hortgem Wha’ fruit in cross-section

[0014] FIG. 6 shows ‘Hortgem Wha’ fruit in longitudinal-section

[0015] FIG. 7 shows leaves of the variety ‘Hortgem Wha’

[0016] FIG. 8 shows flowers of the variety “Hortgem Wha’

[0017] Photographs of fruit were taken after the normal harvest date and are depicted in colors as nearly true as is reasonably possible to make the same in a color illustration of this character. Fruit skin color may vary depending upon extent of exposure to direct sunlight.

COMPARISON TO CLOSEST VARIETY

[0018] The distinctive characteristics of this new kiwi variety, described in detail below, were observed in 2001 at Te Puke, New Zealand. The plants observed were established from cuttings and were 6 years old at the time. ‘Hortgem Wha’ is a new variety of A. arguta distinctive in its own right. Comparison with another similar variety ‘Hortgem Tahi’ (application Ser. No. 09/780,809) showed that ‘Hortgem Toru’ may be distinguished as follows:

		Expression	Expression of the
		of the characteristics	characteristic for
		for the similar	the candidate
Similar variety	Characteristic	variety	variety
Hortgem Tahi	Fruit shape	spheroid	oblong
Hortgem Tahi	Start of harvest	late Feb	late Feb-early
			March
Hortgem Tahi	Storage life of	˜10-12 weeks	˜6-8 weeks
	fruit at 0° C.
	in air storage

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

[0019] The new variety ‘Hortgem Wha’ is pistallate, with morphologically perfect but functionally imperfect flowers, i.e. the flowers produce only sterile pollen and thus require a pollinizer for fruit production. Characteristics of the new variety include a short period (˜3 months) between flowering and harvest, early harvest, small oblong fruit with green hairless edible skin, green flesh and a sweet aromatic flavour.

TABLE OF CHARACTERISTICS
Horticultural terminology is used in accordance with revised UPOV guide-
lines for kiwi. All dimensions in millimeters, weights in grams (unless
otherwise stated). Where a color reference is given these refer to the RHS
Colour Chart, the Royal Horticultural Society, London. 3rd Edition, 1995.
PLANT
(Measurements from samples of 20,
unless stated)
Plant: sex expression            Female
Plant: vigour                    Strong
Young shoot: hairs               Present
Young shoot: density of hairs    Sparse
Young shoot: type of hairs       Tomentose
Young shoot: anthocyanin coloration Strong
of growing tip
Young shoot: anthocyanin coloration Absent or very weak
of leaf axil
STEM
Stem: coloration of leaf axil    Absent or very weak
Stem: diameter                   Thin; mean 9.1 (range 8.5-10.0)
Stem: dormant bud diameter       Small, 1.2 mm (range 0.8-1.5)
Stem: color on upper side of shoot Greyed-Orange 186B
Stem: character of bark          Smooth
Stem: hairs                      Absent
Stem: conspicuousness of lenticels Conspicuous
Stem: number of lenticels        Many
Stem: color of lenticels         Light red brown
Stem: size of bud support        4.8 (range 3.8-5.7)
Stem: visibility of bud (dormant Visible
canes)
Stem: number of hairs visible on bud Absent
(dormant canes)
Stem: leaf scar                  Deep
STEM (Mature)
Leaf: general shape of blade     Ovate/broad ovate
Leaf: length                     115.4 mm (101-131)
Leaf: width                      68.4 mm (57-84)
Leaf: petiole length             53.5 mm (43-73)
Leaf: shape of tip of blade      Caudate
Leaf: shape of base of blade     Rounded
Leaf: arrangement of leaf bases  Far apart
Leaf: puckering/blistering on upper Absent or very weak
side of blade
Leaf: margin                     Ciliate
Leaf: green color of upper side of Medium
blade
Leaf: glossiness of upper side of Medium
blade
Leaf: color of lower side of blade Light green
Leaf: glaucosity (lower side of blade) Absent
Leaf: hairs on petiole           Absent or very weak
Leaf: density of hairs on petiole Absent or very sparsek
Leaf: anthocyanin coloration on  Medium
upper side of petiole
FLOWER
Influorescence: predominant number Three
of flowers:
Pedicel: length                  Short 28.1 mm (range 20.6-33.7)
Pedicel: hairs                   Sparse
Pedicel: length of hairs         Very short
Flower: number of sepais         5.8 (range 5-7)
Flower: color of sepais          Reddish brown
Flower: diameter (terminal or king Small 28.2 (range 26.3-30.6)
flower when fully open)
Flower: petal length             15.1 (range 13.3-17.1)
Flower: petal width              10.3 (range 8.7-12.4)
Flower: petal length/width ratio 1.5 (range 1.12-1.84)
Flower: mean number of petals per 6.1 (range 5-7)
flower
Flower: number of flowers with more 6 out of 20 (4 with 5, 10 with 6)
than six petals
Flower: arrangement of petals    Overlapping
Flower: petal shoulder           Non-constrict
Flower: primary color of petals  Green white 157A
(when fully open)
Flower: type of coloration of petals Uniform over entire petal
Flower: number of stamens        44.4 (range 36-49)
Flower: length of stamen filaments 4.2 (range 3.5-4.7)
Flower: length of anthers        2.4 (range 2.1-2.6)
Flower: filament color           Light green
Flower: anther color             Black
Flower: style number             23.8 (range 21-28)
Flower: length of styles         3.7 (range 3.0-4.2)
Flower: attitude of styles       Semi-erect
Flower: curvature of styles      Weak
Flower: length of ovary          7.9 (range 7.2-8.5)
Flower: amount of hair on ovary  Absent
Flower: color of ovary           Yellow green 145A
FRUIT
Fruit: overall size              8.5 g (7.4-11.4)
Fruit: length                    32.0 mm (30-40)
Fruit: width (max)               23.3 mm (21-26)
Fruit: width (min)               19.7 mm (18-22)
Fruit: core diameter (max)       8.6 mm (6-12)
Fruit: core diameter (min)       4.2 mm (3-5)
Fruit locule number              23.6 (19-27)
Fruit peduncle length            27.9 mm (20-36)
Fruit: peduncle width            1.7 mm (1.3-2.3)
Fruit: general shape             Oblong
Fruit: cross section ar median   Oblate
Fruit: general shape of stylar end Slightly pointed protruding
Fruit: shape of shoulder on stalk end Square
Fruit: skin color at harvest (fruit Medium green
still hard)
Fruit: skin color change during  Medium green
ripening
Fruit: skin color at maturity for Medium green
consumption
Fruit: hairs                     Absent
Fruit: core diamerter (at largest Medium
diameter)
Fruit: core shape (in cross      Transverse elliptic
section)
Fruit: core woody spike          Absent
Fruit: outer pericarp color at   Green
maturity for consumption
Fruit: inner pericarp col. (locules) Green
at mat. for consumption
Fruit: core color at maturity    Green white
Fruit: seed color at maturity (in flesh) Dark red brown
Fruit: seed colour when dry      Red brown
EVENTS
Time of vegetative budbreak      Early-mid September
Time of beginning of flowering   Early-mid November
Time of maturity for harvest (at nor- Late February-early March
malized Brix level)
Fruit: outer pericarp color at matur- 139B/141B
ity for consumption
Fruit: inner pericarp col. (locules) at 139B/141B
mat. for consumtpion
Fruit: core color at harvest     154D/157C
Fruit: seed color (in flesh)     172B/175C
Fruit: seed solour (dry seed)    172B/175C
Fruit: skin color at maturioty   141A/143A
Leaf: color upper side (in mature leaf 136A/139A
after petal fall)
Leaf: color of flower side (in mature 138A/141A
leaf after petal fall)
Flower: color of main body of petals 157A
Flower: color of ovary           145A
Plant stem: color on exposed side 166B/176A

HORTICULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS

[0020] Details below relate to observations made on cutting-grown plants growing at HortResearch Te Puke Research Centre, New Zealand. These vines were 3 years old.

[0021] Cropping: young vines of ‘Hortgem Wha’ are precocious, beginning to bear in their second year and are expected to reach full capacity at about 7 years. The storage life of ‘Hortgem Wha’ fruit is 6-8 weeks at 0° C., if stored in unventilated containers in air storage.

[0022] Yield and fruit size: (Data from harvesting all fruit from 8 vines in early March 1999)

[0023] Mean fruit weight: 7.34 g Maximum: 7.85 g Minimum: 6.53 g

[0024] Mean fruit number: 845 Maximum: 1,498 Minimum: 297

[0025] Mean yield: 6.2 kg Maximum: 11.1 kg Minimum: 2.3 kg

[0026] It is anticipated mature, well-managed vines would yield approximately 5000 fruit per vine with a mean fruit weight of 10 g and mean yield per vine of 50 kg.

Claims

1. A new and distinct kiwi plant of the species A. arguta substantially as herein described and illustrated, characterized by small oblong fruit with green hairless edible skin and green flesh with a sweet aromatic flavor.