Patent Application
20100242143
The present invention comprises a new and distinct plant cultivar of Vitis rotundifolia Michx., which has been given the name ‘Majesty’. The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are the most pronounced characteristics of this new cultivar when grown in Florida, and which in combination distinguish it from existing cultivars:
1) Vigorous vine growth, high fruit yield, and disease resistant.
2) Very large red-black colored fruit, which is 3-4 grams more than the largest muscadine variety.
3) Very good flavor.
4) Low fruit rot and relatively low wet scar.
The accompanying color photograph shows a representative section of a typical specimen of the new cultivar.
This photograph is a detailed view of several clusters of ripe berries, obtained by clipping away some foliage.
In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.
The muscadine grape, Vitis rotundifolia Michx., is a popular fresh fruit grown in the Southeastern United States. In the North Florida climate, it ripens in late August when few other fruits are in season. The berries are large, as compared to other grape species, and are borne in small clusters of 5-10. When fully ripe, the berries on existing cultivars are generally bronze, but can also range from red to black with slightly raised lenticels, giving a somewhat mottled appearance.
‘Supreme’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,267) is a muscadine grape cultivar introduced in the late 1980s for the fresh fruit market in the Southeastern United States. It was developed from a cross between the female variety ‘Black Fry’ and the pollen parent ‘Dixieland’ made by Mr. W. G. Ison. ‘Supreme's’ distinguishing features were that it was an improved variety at the time of its release of the muscadine grape, and the large sized black berry. ‘Black Fry’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,824) was developed from a cross between the female variety ‘Fry’ and the pollen parent variety ‘Cowart,’ also made by Mr. Ison. ‘Black Fry's’ distinguishing features were that its characteristics, such as quality, shelf life, and sugar content were superior to both parents. ‘Triumph’ (unpatented) is a cross made by Mr. Fry in 1965. The original seedling was identified in 1971, and the cultivar has been grown commercially for over a decade. Two distinguishing characteristics of ‘Triumph’ are its prolific pollen production, making it an excellent planting adjacent to pistillate cultivars, and the high percentage of its berries which separate with a high dry stem scar (i.e., no tear in the berry at the point of detachment for the pedicel). Despite these distinguishing characteristics of ‘Supreme’, ‘Fry’ and ‘Triumph’, customers are always looking for a variety with even bigger berries. Furthermore, we have found that the yields for ‘Supreme’ and ‘Fry’ were inconsistent in different years and locations. Thus, there has been a need to develop a new cultivar that has a berry size that is larger than the current muscadine variety and has a firm flesh texture with relatively thin skin and good flavor, which also retains important agronomic characteristics such as vigorous growth, disease resistance and very low fruit rot. Additionally, there is a need to develop a muscadine grape plant cultivar with a relatively low wet scar to minimize berry damage for the fresh fruit market.
The plant of this invention, ‘Majesty’, was developed from an organized scientifically designed breeding program conducted at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research at Tallahassee, Fla. ‘Majesty’ originated from a seeding population crossed between muscadine grape cultivars ‘Supreme’ and ‘Triumph’ in 1997. The seedling was selected from a progeny of 36, and testing of the agronomic characteristics began in 2001 at Florida A&M University Research Vineyard in Tallahassee, Fla. The new cultivar was asexually reproduced from cuttings taken from the original seedling and the new cultivar has been tested under the experimental designation O26-5-8. The unique features of the new cultivar have been retained.
‘Majesty’ was asexually reproduced in Tallahassee, Fla., utilizing standard mist propagation techniques. No hormones were used. Soft wood cuttings from the original ‘Majesty’ vine were taken in June and July, and two-node softwood cuttings were placed in a 50% sand and 50% peat moss medium. The cuttings were misted for, 5 seconds in 10 minute intervals for a period of about 16 hours during the day. After rooting in four weeks, the cuttings were moved out of the mist bed to a shaded nursery, and the vines were fully established in two months.
Other methods of asexual reproduction are possible. One alternate method comprises layering, wherein the current season's growth is placed in a trench 4-6″ deep at the base of the mother plant, still attached to the mother vine, and covered with moist material such as sphagnum moss. Rooting cuttings from the material in the trench can then be separated from the mother plant during the following dormant season.
