Patent Application
20180014440
Latin name of the genus and species of the plant: Carya illinoinensis.
Variety denomination: ‘Tanner’.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of pecan tree named ‘Tanner’. My new tree can be used in gardens or for commercial production of pecan nuts. This new tree was selected from seedlings grown from controlled pollination at the University of Georgia Horticulture Farm in Watkinsville, Ga., in 1995. The ‘Tanner’ selection resulted from crossing ‘Desirable’ (unpatented) as the seed parent with ‘Pawnee’ (unpatented) as the pollen parent (
‘Tanner’ is distinguished from other pecan varieties known to the inventor due to the following unique combination of characteristics: Consistent and acceptable fruit production, small fruit cluster, early nut maturity, large nut producing mammoth kernels with excellent color and high resistance to scab fungus (Fusicladosporium effusum) and moderate resistance to black aphid (Melanocallis caryaefoliae). ‘Tanner’ will fill a niche for large nuts similar in size to ‘Desirable’ but with the advantage of earlier maturity and high resistance to scab.
Asexual reproduction of ‘Tanner’ by grafting, (top working) onto ‘Desirable’/seedling pecan trees in 2009 and 2012 in Albany, Ga. and onto ‘Cape Fear’ (unpatented) trees in 2009 in Leary, Ga. was performed in order to evaluate these trees. Asexual reproduction of ‘Tanner’ has shown that the forgoing characteristics come true to form, are firmly fixed, and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations.
Certain characteristics of this variety, such as growth and color, may change with changing environmental conditions (e.g., light, temperature, moisture, nutrient availability, or other factors). Color descriptions and other terminology are used in accordance with their ordinary dictionary descriptions, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Color designations are made with reference to The Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S.) Colour Chart.
The colors of an illustration of this type may vary with lighting and other conditions. Therefore, color characteristics of this new variety should be determined with reference to the observations described herein, rather than from these illustrations alone.
Tree form of ‘Tanner’ is moderately upright in contrast to both parents and almost all other pecan cultivars. Shoot growth is long or “leggy” producing an open canopy. Thus, ‘Tanner’, like upright ‘Whiddon’ (U.S. Plant patent application pending) trees can be planted in higher tree density than most cultivars. The timing of bud break (Table 2) of ‘Tanner’ is similar to ‘Whiddon’, ‘Tom’ (U.S. Plant Patent No. 26,705) ‘Huffman’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,465), ‘Morrill’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,335) and ‘Stuart’ (unpatented) pecan trees making it is less susceptible to late-spring freezes than ‘Byrd’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,867), ‘Cunard’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24, 373), ‘Desirable’ and ‘Treadwell’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,740). The leaves of ‘Tanner’ are forest green as in pollen parent ‘Pawnee’ but are unlike the pale green of ‘Desirable’. Leaflet orientation is similar to ‘Pawnee’ and ‘Byrd’ and unlike most pecan genotypes; that is opposite leaflets are oriented at 180 degrees relative to each other. (
Table 1 below compares periods of pollen shedding and stigma receptivity for ‘Tanner’ and selected other pecan cultivars in April, 2012, Watkinsville, Ga.
— = Period of pollen shedding.
Table 2 below compares bud break date for ‘Byrd’, ‘Tom’, ‘Huffman’, ‘Morrill’, ‘Cunard’, ‘Treadwell’, ‘Stuart’, ‘Whiddon’, ‘Desirable’ and ‘Tanner’ pecans. Observations were of trees growing in Watkinsville, Ga.
Table 3 below compares fruit scab susceptibility of ‘Tanner’ with ‘Byrd,’ ‘Morrill,’, ‘Cunard,’ ‘Treadwell’, ‘Tom’, ‘Huffman’ and ‘Desirable’ growing at two Georgia locations. In addition, ‘Pawnee’ has been observed to be more susceptible to scab disease than ‘Tanner’ when grown in Georgia.
z1 = no lesions, 2 = occasional lesions, <10% of fruit with scab, 3 = lesions common on fruit and damaging, 1-50% of fruit with scab, 4 = wide spread lesions on fruit and damaging, 51-75% of fruit with scab, 5 = widespread lesions on fruit, fruit size suppressed and/aborted.
yn = 19, sprayed with fungicide.
xyears 2005, 08, 09, 10, 11,12, sprayed with fungicide.
Table 4 below compares leaf susceptibility of ‘Byrd’, ‘Huffman’, ‘Morrill’, ‘Cunard’, ‘Tom’, ‘Treadwell’, ‘Sumner’ (unpatented), ‘Whiddon’, ‘Desirable’, and ‘Tanner’ pecans to black pecan aphids in Leary, Ga.
z 1 = no injury, 2 = <1% of leaves with injury, 3 = 1-10% of leaves with injury, 4 = 11-50% of leaves with injury, 5 = >50% of leaves with injury and partial defoliation.
Table 5 below compares nut characteristics of ‘Treadwell’, ‘Byrd’, ‘Tom’, ‘Cunard’, ‘Morrill’, ‘Elliott’, ‘Huffman’, ‘Whiddon’, ‘Desirable’, and ‘Tanner’ pecans. Observations were of trees growing in Albany, Ga., from 2009-2012.
z Length to width ratio = nut length divided by width. Width was measured midway the length of the nut and across the suture.
y Nut flatness = ratio of nut width across suture to width between suture. Measurement was made midway the length of the nut.
x Date when shuck dehiscence had occurred on 50% of the fruit, from September 1.
Pecan nuts of large size that mature early command a premium price. The price per pound normally declines as the harvest becomes later. Consequently, cultivars that exhibit early maturity at harvest are commercially important. ‘Tanner’ is in the early maturity class of ‘Treadwell,’, ‘Byrd’, ‘Tom’, and ‘Cunard’. ‘Tanner’ nut size is large (wt./nut) and greater then ‘Byrd’ and ‘Tom’, similar to ‘Treadwell’ and ‘Desirable’ and less than ‘Cunard’ and ‘Huffman’ (Table 5). Consequently, ‘Tanner’ kernels like ‘Treadwell’, ‘Byrd, ‘Cunard’, ‘Huffman’, and ‘Desirable’ are suitable for the profitable mammoth half trade. ‘Tanner’ is not well suited as a replacement tree or as an inter plant in a ‘Stuart’—‘Schley’ (unpatented)—‘Desirable’ orchard, a common combination in the southeastern United States. Nut maturity date of ‘Tanner’, like similar early maturing ‘Byrd’, ‘Cunard’, Treadwell’, and ‘Tom’ is too early to allow a once over blended nut harvest of a ‘Desirable’ ‘Stuart’, and ‘Schley’ orchards. Color of a kernel's seed coat (lighter is preferred) and the percentage kernel of the nut also affects the selling price of pecans. ‘Tanner’ seed coat color is excellent (
As can be seen from Table 5, the nut length is less than ‘Cunard’ and ‘Morrill’ and similar to ‘Desirable’ and ‘Huffman’. General nut shape (length/width) is similar to ‘Desirable’, ‘Whiddon’, Huffman’, ‘Tom’ and ‘Byrd’ but is less oblong than ‘Treadwell’, ‘Cunard’ and ‘Morrill’. In cross-section (nut flatness), ‘Tanner’ nuts are near round (flatness ratio 1.03) and are similar to ‘Byrd’, ‘Cunard’, ‘Elliott’, and ‘Huffman’, but less symmetrical than ‘Whiddon’, ‘Treadwell’ and ‘Tom’, however more than ‘Morrill’ and ‘Desirable’. The shell is thicker than ‘Desirable’ but the percentage kernel is higher than ‘Desirable’. In pecan percentage kernel is a direct function of shell thickness and percentage of the shell cavity filled with kernel. The percentage kernel of ‘Desirable’, in spite of a thinner shell, is not greater than ‘Tanner’ because of a concave kernel/dorsal grooves are wide/central partition is thick which reduces the percentage of shell cavity filled with kernel. The percentage kernel of ‘Tanner’ nuts is higher than the industry standard, ‘Desirable’.
Under stress, primarily fruiting stress, and when ‘Pawnee’ pecan trees are grown in humid southeastern United States, the kernel's seed coat can develop large conspicuous and unattractive dark spots. This speckling reduces the marketability of these nuts. This speckling has not been observed to be a problem of ‘Tanner’ nuts grown in Georgia. However, kernels sometimes have minute specs (
‘Tanner’ is not precocious relative to ‘Cunard’, ‘Byrd’, and ‘Treadwell’ (Table 6). Precocity is similar to ‘Desirable’, ‘Morrill’, and ‘Whiddon’. ‘Tanner’ is not as precocious as ‘Byrd’ or ‘Treadwell’ as is indicated, by the onset of alternate fruit bearing in the third year from top working, in contrast to a lack so far of alternate fruit bearing in ‘Tanner’ (Table 7) as is also the case in ‘Desirable’, ‘Huffman’ and ‘Tom’. Although not precocious, prolificacy as mature top worked trees is good and similar to ‘Morrill’, ‘Huffman’, and ‘Tom’ (Table 8). Thus, annual production is as in ‘Desirable’ and for the same reason, a small fruit cluster size (Table 9).
As indicated in (Table 9), the cluster size of ‘Tanner’ is larger than ‘Desirable’. Consequently, with increasing tree maturity, alternate bearing may be more of a problem than with ‘Tanner’. However, because of the small cluster size and consistent production exhibited by ‘Tanner’ following top working to mature pecan trees, it is expected to bear more or less consistently with increasing tree maturity as occurs with its seed parent ‘Desirable’. ‘Tanner’ is superior to ‘Desirable’ in having a large nut that matures early, a higher percentage kernel, and especially important high resistance to scab disease.
Table 6 below compares Precocity of ‘Cunard’, ‘Byrd’, ‘Treadwell’, ‘Desirable’, ‘Morrill’, ‘Tom’, ‘Elliott’, ‘Huffman’, ‘Whiddon’, ‘Stuart’, and ‘Tanner’ pecans. Observations were of trees growing in Albany and Leary, Ga.
z Years from transplanting from the nursery.
Table 7 below compares alternate bearing tendency of ‘Byrd’, ‘Treadwell’, ‘Huffman’, ‘Tom’, ‘Cunard’, ‘Morrill’, ‘Whiddon’, and ‘Tanner’ pecans. Observations were of trees growing in Albany, Ga.
y Years after top working mature trees to the respective cultivar.
zAnnual production maintained by fruit thinning.
Table 8 below compares production, weight per nut, nuts per pound, and percentage kernel of trees top worked to ‘Morrill’, ‘Huffman’, and ‘Tanner’ pecans. Observations were of trees growing in Albany, Ga., 2009-12.z
z Data are average of the second through fifth year following top working.
Table 9 below compares fruit cluster size of ‘Byrd’, ‘Desirable’, ‘Huffman’, ‘Tom’, ‘Morrill’, ‘Pawnee’, ‘Cunard’, ‘Treadwell’, ‘Elliott’, ‘Whiddon’ and ‘Tanner’ pecans. Observations were of trees growing in Watkinsville, Ga. Data are averages of three years, 2005, 2006, and 2008.
zCluster counts made after the second drop was completed.
Under the humid growing conditions in southeastern United States, the pecan fruit is highly susceptible to splitting during the “water stage” (liquid endosperm stage) of fruit development. Fruit split can occur following rain and accompanying prolonged high humidity in early August in Georgia. Water split has not been observed in ‘Tanner’.
The ‘Tanner’ pecan tree is therefore an improved new and distinct pecan.
