Patent Application
20150106983
Prunus persica
‘Souvenirs’
A new cultivar of peach tree called ‘Souvenirs’ is described herein. The new cultivar originated from a hand-pollinated cross of Ark. 708 (non-patented) (female parent)×Winblo (non-patented) (male parent) made in 2001. The seeds resulting from this controlled hybridization were germinated in a greenhouse in the late winter 2001/early spring of 2002 and planted in a field near Clarksville, Ark. The seedlings fruited during the summer of 2004 and one seedling, designated Ark. 763, was selected for its very firm fruit with slow-melting yellow flesh, early-mid season ripening, medium size, attractive appearance, high red skin color, excellent fruit quality, good flavor, and resistance to bacterial spot disease.
The new and distinct cultivar of peach originated from a hand-pollinated cross of Ark. 708 (non-patented, unreleased genotype; female)×Winblo (non-patented, public variety; male) made in 2001 near Clarksville, Ark. (West-Central Arkansas).
The seeds resulting from this controlled hybridization were germinated in a greenhouse in the late winter 2001/early spring of 2002 and planted in a field near Clarksville, Ark. The seedlings fruited during the summer of 2004 and one seedling, designated Ark. 763, was selected for its very firm, slow-melting yellow flesh, early-mid season ripening, medium-sized fruits, attractive appearance with high red skin color, excellent fruit quality with good flavor, and resistance to bacterial spot disease.
During 2004, the original plant selection was propagated asexually, at the above-noted location, by budding onto standard peach rootstock cultivar ‘Lovell’ (non-patented) and a test plot of two plants was established. Subsequently, larger test plantings have been established with asexually multiplied plants at two additional locations in Arkansas (near Clarksville and Hope, AR) and at each location propagation was by budding from buds collected at the Clarksville, Ark. test plot. No incompatibility with ‘Lovell’ peach rootstock has occurred following budding. During all asexual multiplication, the characteristics of the original plant have been maintained and no aberrant phenotypes have appeared.
The new cultivar has been named the ‘Souvenirs’ cultivar.
The accompanying photographs show typical specimens of the new cultivar in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make in a color illustration of this character.
Plants and fruit of this new cultivar differ phenotypically from its parents. The new cultivar is earlier ripening, has better flavor, more red skin color, and has more resistance to bacterial spot disease compared to the parent Ark. 708. The new cultivar is different from parent ‘Winblo’ in that it is low-acid in flavor, ripens earlier, has much firmer flesh and has more resistance to bacterial spot disease. Both the parents and the new cultivar are the genus and species Prunus persica.
Trees of the new cultivar are moderately vigorous, productive, standard in size, well-branched and symmetrical with an upright to semi-spreading growth habit, comparable to other peach trees. Trees express a high level of resistance to both foliar and fruit infection of bacterial spot [Xanthomonas campestris pv. pruni (Smith) Dye] but in some years do not show complete immunity to this disease. The new cultivar blooms in the spring on approximately the same date as ‘Loring’ (non-patented) and ‘White County’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,742). No winter cold injury has been observed on wood or buds of the new cultivar in Arkansas tests where minimum temperatures have reached 5° F. (15° C.) during evaluation. Chilling requirement to break dormancy is estimated to be 800 hours below 45° F. (7° C.).
Fruit of the new cultivar ripens mid-early season, averaging 14 days before ‘Loring’ and 2 days after ‘Redhaven’ (non-patented) reference peach cultivars. Average first ripening date is July 6 in west-central Arkansas (Clarksville). Fruit of the new cultivar has not been observed to have split pits, a serious fruit disorder of some peach cultivars. Fruit yields have been good and are comparable to the peach cultivar Winblo.
The fruit is round in shape. Fruits are attractive with an average 90% bright red blush. Fruit finish is good with no blemishes. The fruit skin has light pubescence. The flesh of the fruit is yellow in color and has slight red pigment in the flesh, mostly around the stone or pit. Flesh is melting but very firm until fully mature when it softens, considered a “slow melting” type and firmer at maturity than the ‘Loring’ or ‘Redhaven’ reference cultivars. The fruit is a freestone, in that the flesh does not adhere to the pit. Fruit size is medium averaging 183 g. The fresh fruit rates excellent in flavor. Fruits average 15.3% soluble solids. The flavor is sweet and low-acid with an acidity level of 0.24% malic acid compared to ‘Redhaven’ with 0.70%.
The following is a detailed description of the botanical and pomological characteristics of the subject peach. Color data are presented in Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart designations (1986 2nd edition). Where dimensions, sizes, colors and other characteristics are given, it is to be understood that such characteristics are approximations of averages set forth as accurately as practical.
Plants used for botanical data were six years old and grown on a fine sandy loam soil with trickle irrigation near Clarksville, Ark. Trees were trained to an open-center training system and dormant pruned annually. The exception to this is that yield data was collected on trees four years old and trained to a perpendicular V training system. Fruits on all trees were thinned to approximately 6-8 inches between fruits 4-5 weeks after full bloom. The trees were fertilized near budbreak (late March on average) with complete or nitrogen fertilizer. Weeds were controlled with pre- and postemergence herbicides. Routine commercial fungicide and insecticide applications were made to the trees, but no bactericides (for control of bacterial diseases such as bacterial spot disease) were applied. The descriptions reported herein are from specimens grown near Clarksville, Ark.
The most distinctive features of the new cultivar are very firm fruit with slow-melting yellow flesh, early-mid season ripening, medium size, attractive appearance, high red skin color, excellent fruit quality, good flavor, and resistance to bacterial spot disease.
