Patent Application
20160324051
Fragaria×ananassa Duch. (Fragaria L.)
‘YASMIN’
The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of a strawberry plant, botanically known as Fragaria×ananassa Duch. (Fragaria L.) of the Rosaceae family, and hereinafter referred to by the variety denomination ‘YASMIN’.
The new Fragaria ananassa variety is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventors, Nir DAI, Zecharia TANAMI, Sara SLOTZKY and Ahuva DAOUS, in The Volcani Center, located in Bet Dagan, Israel. The objective of the breeding program was to develop a new Fragaria ananassa variety with early season high fruit production, which starts in the beginning of November under conditions prevailing in Israel.
The new Fragaria ananassa variety originated from a cross made by the inventors in 2005, in a controlled greenhouse in The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel. The female or seed parent is the Fragaria ananassa proprietary breeding line designated ‘ARO 105’ (unpatented). The male or pollen parent is the Fragaria ananassa proprietary breeding line designated ‘ARO 701’ (unpatented). The new Fragaria ananassa ‘YASMIN’ was observed and selected by the inventors within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in 2007 in The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel.
Asexual propagation of the new Fragaria ananassa variety by stolons was first performed in June 2007 in The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel, and has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new variety was firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual propagation. The new variety propagates true-to-type.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be characteristics of ‘YASMIN’, which in combination, distinguish this strawberry plant as a new, unique and distinct variety:
1. Very early beginning of flowering which is in the first week of October, in Israel;
2. Compact growth habit;
3. Short-conical fruit shape.
In comparison to the parental varieties, ‘ARO 105’ and ‘ARO 701’, ‘YASMIN’ differs primarily in the traits listed in Table 1.
Of the many commercial varieties known to the present inventors, the most similar in comparison to the new Fragaria ananassa ‘YASMIN’ is Fragaria ananassa ‘TAMAR’, (Patented, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,135) which differs from the new strawberry ‘YASMIN’ in the characteristics described in Table 2:
The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Fragaria ananassa variety ‘YASMIN’ showing the colors as true as is reasonably possible with colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed morphological description, which accurately describe the color of ‘YASMIN’.
The new Fragaria ananassa ‘YASMIN’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype of the new variety may vary with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, day length or soil without any change in the genotype of the strawberry plant.
The aforementioned photographs, together with the following observations, measurements and values describe plants of ‘YASMIN’ as grown in the field in The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel, under conditions which closely approximate those generally used in commercial practice. The described plants were propagated from stolons and planted at a distance of 0.3×0.3 m in sandy red loam soil at an elevation of about 30 meters above sea level, with drip irrigation and fertilizers as generally used in commercial practice. Average annual rainfall is about 550 mm, with an average 350 mm of rainfall in winter (December to February). Mean diurnal minimum temperature in January is 7.2° C., and mean diurnal maximum temperature in July is 30.8° C.
Mother plants provided from an authorized nursery are planted in the beginning of May, in the field nursery at 2.5 m×2.5 m distance. Combination of overhead and drip irrigation with addition of fertilizers is used. The average day/night temperatures during the establishment of the daughter plants, between June to August, are 32° C./18° C. respectively. Runners appear from June, which produce young daughter plants up till mid September, these are then collected and planted directly in the commercial fields. Growing conditions at the fruit production field:
The bare-rooted plants are washed from soil and dipped in Octav (Prochloraz manganese) 2 g/Liter solution to avoid anthracnose. These bare rooted plants are then planted in raised beds with overhead irrigation in 4 rows at 30 cm apart. Distance between plants within rows is 32 cm. During the first month, no fertilizers are added, due to the addition of 60-100 m3/hectar compost during field preparation. About 4 weeks after planting the beds are covered with silvery-black, 30 micron polyethylene. The young plants are pulled out through the pre-prepared holes. From this point on, the plants are irrigated with a drip system with a supply of additional fertilizers, as is typically used in agricultural practice. By the end of October the beds are covered with transparent, 80 micron thick polyethylene tunnels. The average day (max) and night (minimum) temperatures during the cultivation season are shown in
Unless otherwise stated, the detailed morphological description includes observations, measurements and values taken from 2012 to 2014 and based on ‘YASMIN’ plants grown in the nursery at The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel. Quantified measurements are expressed as an average or a range of measurements taken from a number of plants of ‘YASMIN’. The measurements of any individual plant or any group of plants, of the new variety may vary from the stated average or range.
Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.), (1986 edition), except where general colors of ordinary significance are used. Color values were taken under daylight conditions in full sunlight in The Volcani Center, located in Bet Dagan, Israel.
All of the plants of ‘YASMIN’, insofar as they have been observed, have been consistent in all the characteristics described below.
