Patent Application
20070107105
The variety is botanically identified as Fragaria×ananassa.
The strawberry variety denomination is ‘Driscoll Sausalito’.
The new variety originated as a result of a controlled cross between the strawberry plants ‘San Juan’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,899) and 14C185 (Unpatented Driscoll Variety) in an ongoing breeding program, and was discovered in Monterey County, California in 2000. The original seedling of the new cultivar was asexually propagated by stolons in a Nursery in Shasta County, California. Propagules were transplanted to a controlled breeding plot in Monterey County, California, where the variety was identified and selected for further evaluation. ‘Driscoll Sausalito’ was subsequently asexually propagated and underwent further testing in Monterey County, California for five years. This propagation and testing has demonstrated that the combination of traits disclosed herein which characterize the new variety are fixed and retained true to type through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry named ‘Driscoll Sausalito’. The variety is botanically identified as Fragaria×ananassa. The new variety is distinguished from other varieties by a number of characteristics as set forth in Tables 1-4.
The varieties which we believe to be similar to ‘Driscoll Sausalito’ from those known to us are ‘Driscoll Lanai’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,145) and ‘San Juan’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,899). There are several characteristics of the new variety that are different from, or not possessed by ‘Driscoll Lanai’ and ‘San Juan’. For example, the new variety has a different internal color, longer petal length, longer flower diameter, different anythocyanin color and coloration and is moderately resistant to powdery mildew.
‘Driscoll Sausalito’ is distinguished from its parent, ‘San Juan’ as indicated in Tables 1-4. Plants of 14C185 were not available for side by side comparison. ‘Driscoll Sausalito’ differs from 14C185 by having brighter red, more uniformly colored berries and superior shelf-life.
The accompanying photographs show typical specimens of the new variety, including fruit, foliage and flowers, in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make in color illustrations of these characteristics.
The following detailed description of the new variety is based upon observations taken of plants harvested from a nursery in Shasta country, California in October, 2004 and held in cold storage until planting in Monterey County, California in November 2004. Plants were grown in raised beds of soil under conditions typical of commercial strawberry production in Monterey County, California. Observations of ‘Driscoll Sausalito’, ‘Driscoll Lanai’, and ‘San Juan’ were made in side by side comparison in July 2005. Fruits were harvested twice weekly from April, 2004 to November, 2004 for yield determination. Color designations, color descriptions, and other phenotypical descriptions may deviate from the stated values and descriptions depending upon variation in environmental, seasonal, climatic and cultural conditions. Colors are described and the most similar color designations are provided from The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.
The new variety is principally propagated by way of stolons. Although propagation by stolons is presently preferred, other known methods of propagating strawberry plants may be employed.
Information on the new variety is presented in Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4. In the tables, the flowers described are secondary flowers except where indicated. The fruit described is the secondary fruit on seven month old plants. Fruit and flower measurements are an average of both primary and secondary fruit and flowers.
Table 1 provides information on the plant and fruit characteristics of the new variety ‘Driscoll Sausalito’ compared with characteristics of ‘Driscoll Lanai’ and ‘San Juan’. Table 2 provides additional information of the plant and fruit characteristics of the new variety ‘Driscoll Sausalito’ compared with characteristics of the varieties ‘Driscoll Lanai’ and ‘San Juan’. Table 3 provides reactions of the new variety to stresses, pests and diseases compared with reactions of the varieties ‘Driscoll Lanai’ and ‘San Juan’. Table 4 provides isozyme characteristics of the new variety as compared to that of the varieties ‘Driscoll Lanai’ and ‘San Juan’.
Tetranychus urticae
Lygus hesperus
Botrytis fruit rot
Xanthomonas fragariae
In addition to the morphological description above, the new cultivar ‘Driscoll Sausalito’ has been analyzed to obtain an indication of its genetic makeup to provide further means for identifying the new variety and distinguishing it from other somewhat similar and/or related strawberry varieties. Specifically, leaf samples of ‘Driscoll Sausalito’, ‘Driscoll Lanai’ and ‘San Juan’ were analyzed by electrophoresis for isozyme patterns of the enzymes phosphoglucoisomerase (“PGI”), leucine aminopeptidase (“LAP”) and phosphoglucomutase (“PGM”). See J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 106:684-687. Isozyme characterization of the three varieties is presented in Table 4, with the letters representing the banding patterns for each enzyme as designated in the above-identified article.
