Patent Grant
PP17670
Botanical designation: Fragaria×ananassa Duch.
Variety denomination: ‘Orleans’.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct June bearing strawberry cultivar designated as ‘Orléans’. This cultivar belongs to the genus Fragaria×ananassa Duch. whose fruit are juicy, edible and usually red, and is cultivated for culinary purposes.
The new cultivar, tested as FIO9623-55, is the progeny of a cross made in 1996 by Shahrokh Khanizadeh between ‘L'Acadie’ (U.S. Plant patent application Publication No. 2003/0009799) and ‘Joliette’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,460). ‘L'Acadie’ is a June bearing strawberry cultivar (Fragaria×ananassa Duch) bred for Eastern Central Canada and more specifically for Quebec growing conditions. ‘L'Acadie’ is noted for large, firm fruit, moderate resistance to leaf diseases, partial resistance to red stele (Phytophthora fragariae Hickman), and keeping quality of several days after picking or maturity in the field. ‘Joliette’ has high yields of large, moderately firm fruit and is resistant to leaf spot (Mycosphaerella fragariae Tul.) and to six North American eastern (NAE) races of red stele (Phytophthora fragariae Hickman).
The ‘Orléans’ strawberry was asexually propagated by runners at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada sub-station in L'Acadie, Québec and extensively tested at the same location (where it has been tested since 1997). It was reselected by Les Fraises de L'île d'Orléans Inc. in St Laurent, Île d'Orléans, Québec, Canada in 1999. The new variety was then further evaluated from 1999 to 2001 in controlled semi-commercial sites by our private partners, Meiosis Ltd (Kent, UK). It is presently evaluated in other provinces of Canada, in the United States, and in Europe. Clones of the claimed plant are identical to the original plant. ‘Orléans’ is now an established and stable cultivar.
‘Orléans’ is primarily adapted to the climate and growing conditions of Eastern Central Canada and more specifically for I'{circumflex over (l)}le d'Orléans, Québec. It can tolerate low winter temperatures and shows resistance to soil born diseases. Its upright growing habit, its small flowers with as-long-as-broad petals, its firm light-red fruit with same-sized calyx and its fruit sweetness essentially characterize ‘Orléans’, as compared to ‘Kent’, ‘L'Acadie’ and ‘Joliette’. ‘Orléans’ out-yields ‘Kent’ (unpatented) and produces larger fruits that ripen 4-5 days after ‘Kent’ fruits. ‘Orléans’ also continues to produce fruits 4-5 days after ‘Kent’, therefore it is considered as a mid-season late cultivar. ‘Orléans’ has a much longer shelf life than varieties like ‘Chambly’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,853), ‘Kent’, ‘Annapolis’ (unpatented) and ‘Saint-Pierre’ (unpatented) and shows higher levels of antioxidants (Gallic acid, Protocatecuic acid, Catechin, P-hydroxybenzoic acid, Epicatechin, and Ellagic acid) than ‘Kent’.
The accompanying color photographs show typical specimens of the new variety at various stages of development as nearly true as it is possible to make in color reproductions.
‘Orléans’ is a June bearing strawberry cultivar (Fragaria×ananassa Duch.), resulting from a cross between ‘L'Acadie’ and ‘Joliette’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,460). ‘Orléans’ has high yields of very large, firm, light-red colored fruit and performs much longer storage life than the standard variety Kent, used by many growers. It also shows higher levels of antioxidants (Gallic acid, Protocatecuic acid, Catechin, P-hydroxybenzoic acid, Epicatechin, and Ellagic acid) than ‘Kent’, which makes it ideal for growers who need to store the fruits for several days or ship them to other provinces for marketing.
The name ‘Orléns’ refers to a region east of Quebec City. This area is still recognized today as the capital for strawberry production in Quebec. L'{circumflex over (l)}le d'Orléans, which was once referred to as “I'{circumflex over (l)}le nourriciére” is the oldest seigneury of New France and has since then remained known as a horticultural growing region.
Plants of ‘Orléans’ are vigorous, have an upright growing habit and produce 3 to 4 inflorescences per crown. They can tolerate winter temperatures below −30° C. (with 10 cm straw mulch cover), they perform very well on fumigated or non-fumigated soils and show resistance to soil born diseases.
zNumber of times fruits were harvested during the season LSD0.05
yAverage over 4 years (1995-1998), minimum of 4 replications per year, data from the l'Acadie site.
xL = Late, LM = Late-Midseason, M = Midseason, EM = Early-Midseason, E = Early.
2Averaged over 3 years (1999-2001), minimum of four replications per year.
yData were transformed to arcsin prior to analysis of variance (SAS Institute, 1988).
xNumber of days at room temperature for which the fruits were more than 95% marketable.
‘Orléans’ differs from its parents (‘Joliette’ and ‘L'Acadie’) in terms of fruit shape, calyx and fruit color. As stated earlier, ‘Orléans’ fruit is globose-conic with reflexed sepals rested on a white short neck with very light glossy red color, whereas ‘Joliette’ fruit change from globose to short-wedge shape during the harvest. ‘Joliette’ skin is reddish and its sepals are not reflexed. ‘L'Acadie’ fruits are shiny pale red, with a necked-conic predominant shape and the calyces are semi-reflexed.
Chemical analysis of the ‘Orléans’ fruits reveal high levels of free epicatechin and ellagic acid and above the average to very high levels of bound catechin, epicatechin and ellagic acid. Free antioxidants are immediately available to the plant and therefore help its resistance against diseases or other external stresses. They also act to extend shelf life and enhance quality preservation by delaying senescence created by oxidative degradation. Bound antioxidants, which are measured after hydrolyzing samples, are chemicals that can provide a health benefit after ingestion. For example, ellagic acid and catechin have been shown to have anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties (Ellagic acid, an anticarcinogen in fruits, especially in strawberries: a review, Mass et al., HortScience 26:10-14, 1991).
The ‘Orléans’ fruit has a long shelf life, over 5 days at 4° C. (Table 2) and 3-4 days at room temperature.
Some symptoms of powdery mildew were noted on ‘Orléans’ plants, as observations began in 1996 during prolonged high humidity. However, ‘Orléans’ plants are less susceptible to mildew than ‘Kent’. ‘Orléans’ plants are resistant to leaf scorch (Diplocarpon earlina Ell. & Ev.), leaf blight (Dendrophoma obscurans Ell. & Ev.) and leaf spot (Mycosphaerella fragariae (Tul.) Lindau), as compared to ‘Kent’ control plants that are very susceptible to all these leaf diseases. ‘Orléans’ is resistant to soil-born diseases.
‘Orléans’ plants are more vigorous than ‘Chandler’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,262) in both fumigated and non-fumigated soils. ‘Orléans’ is recommended for Eastern Central Canada, especially in areas where the climate is similar to that in the strawberry production areas of Québec, for example, I'Acadie (35km South East of Montreal Island, Québec, lat. 45° N and 46 m elevation). The climate at L'Acadie, where ‘Orléans’ has been extensively tested, is characterized by extreme low temperatures in winter (<−25° C.); cool, wet, humid conditions in spring; and warm, humid conditions in summer (25-35° C., 70% RH). It has a clay loam soil with moderate to low drainage and little snow cover during the winter.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP5262 | Voth et al. | Jul 1984 | P |
| PP8853 | Buszard et al. | Aug 1994 | P |
| PP10460 | Khanizadeh et al. | Jun 1998 | P |
| PP11438 | Jamieson et al. | Jul 2000 | P |
| 20030009799 | Khanizadeh | Jan 2003 | P1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20050251886 P1 | Nov 2005 | US |
