Patent Grant
PP35819
Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Zoysia Willd.
Variety denomination: ‘SFZ1901’.
This application claims the priority of the Japanese Plant Variety Registration Application No. 36558 filed on Nov. 25, 2022, which is incorporated by reference herein as if set forth in its entirety.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct perennial Zoysia grass cultivar identified as ‘SFZ1901’ Zoysia grass (herein referred to as ‘SFZ1901’). ‘SFZ1901’ was obtained in 2008 from the crossbreeding between the Zoysia japonica cultivar ‘Asagake’ (not patented) (mother plant, Japanese Plant Variety Registration No. 10487) and the wild strain of Zoysia matrella (father plant, which had been stored for a long time in Miyazaki-city, Miyazaki-prefecture, Japan, precise origin unknown) in Miyazaki-city, Miyazaki-prefecture, Japan. After germination of the 192 obtained seeds, the inventor selected the 64 F1 individuals in which the crossbreeding was confirmed by Zoysia grass-derived SSR marker. The pot trial of the selected 64 F1 individuals was carried out from 2011 to 2018, while maintaining them by vegetative propagation by cutting of stolons. As a result, a stolon elongation rate of one individual of the 64 individuals was found as notably slow, and in 2018, that individual was selected as a candidate of a new variety for registration for protection under the UPOV Convention. After that, the characterization of the selected individual was carried out in the field condition in 2019, and the individual was confirmed as being a new Zoysia grass strain with a unique combination of characteristics, including short leaf blade length, slow aboveground parts and stolon elongation rate, longer maintenance of greenness in winter, and management-savings. Subsequently, the characteristics test for Japanese plant variety registration application of the above-identified new Zoysia grass strain was carried out from April 2020 to April 2022 in the test field in Miyazaki-city, Miyazaki-prefecture, Japan, and the strain was named ‘SFZ1901’. The data on the comparison of the characteristics of ‘SFZ1901’ with those of ‘Asagake’ (mother plant) and the wild strain of Zoysia matrella (father plant), which was obtained from the characterization of the ‘SFZ1901’ in 2019, are summarized in the Table 1 below.
At the almost same time as the characteristics test, which was carried out from April 2020 to April 2022, the comparison study of traits between ‘SFZ1901’ and ‘Himeno’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,267) (which is the morphologically and physiologically similar variety to ‘SFZ1901’), was carried out. ‘SFZ1901’ is a distinct variety of Zoysia Willd., which can be vegetatively propagated by both stolons and rhizomes in Miyazaki-city, Miyazaki-prefecture, Japan, and is uniform in growth expression through successive generations. ‘SFZ1901’ is the variety denomination of this new Zoysia grass. The name ‘SFZ1901’ may also designate this plant in commerce.
‘SFZ1901’ is a new and distinct perennial variety of Zoysia Willd., which is characterized by a unique combination of characteristics, including:
The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
The following is a detailed description of the new Zoysia Willd. grass variety known as ‘SFZ1901’, based upon observations of the plant grown in pots and fields.
‘SFZ1901’ is a perennial, vegetatively propagated Zoysia grass, and is believed to be a unique variety of Zoysia Willd. due to its morphological properties. The mother plant of ‘SFZ1901’ was the Zoysia japonica cultivar ‘Asagake’ (Japanese Plant Variety Registration No. 10487), and the father plant was the wild strain of Zoysia matrella (which had been stored for a long time in Miyazaki-city, Miyazaki-prefecture, Japan, precise origin unknown). ‘SFZ1901’ was obtained from the crossbreeding between ‘Asagake’ and the above-identified wild strain of Zoysia matrella.
The inventor vegetatively propagated ‘SFZ1901’ by cutting of stolons, and discovered that ‘SFZ1901’ is a new and distinct variety compared to ‘Himeno’, ‘Meyer’ and ‘Emerald’ (all of which are the morphologically and physiologically similar varieties to ‘SFZ1901’). Compared to other Zoysia grass varieties, ‘SFZ1901’ is characterized by its unique combination of characteristics, including shorter leaf blade length, slower aboveground parts and stolon elongation rate, longer maintenance of greenness in winter, and more management-savings.
‘SFZ1901’ was propagated by cutting of stolons under greenhouse and field conditions in Miyazaki-city, Miyazaki-prefecture, Japan, rooting them in soil, and planting of the rooted material to provide planting stock for studying performance and for comparison of morphological characters after propagation. Asexually reproduced plants of ‘SFZ1901’ have remained stable and true to type through successive generations of propagation. No seedling establishment from ‘SFZ1901’ has been noticed in either greenhouse or field studies.
‘SFZ1901’ is a perennial Zoysia grass that spreads by both stolons and rhizomes. Characteristics of ‘SFZ1901’ measured in 2021 were taken from plants that were approximately 1 to 2 years in age. Both the greenhouse and the test field are located in Miyazaki-city, Miyazaki-prefecture, Japan (USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 9A). The annual minimum temperature in Miyazaki-city, Miyazaki-prefecture, Japan is 3.0 degree Celsius (which corresponds to the average minimum temperature in January in Miyazaki-city), and the annual maximum temperature in Miyazaki-city is 31.6 degree Celsius (which corresponds to the average maximum temperature in August in Miyazaki-city).
The inventor carried out the comparison study of traits between ‘SFZ1901’ and ‘Himeno’ (which is the most morphologically and physiologically similar variety to ‘SFZ1901’) in the test field in Miyazaki-city, Miyazaki-prefecture, Japan, from April 2020 to March 2022. The results of the comparison study are shown in Table 2 below:
As shown in Table 2, the leaf blade length of ‘SFZ1901’ (37.0 mm) was significantly shorter than that of ‘Himeno’ (56.5 mm), and the vigor of early stage of ‘SFZ1901’ was poorer than that of ‘Himeno’ (see also
In addition, the time of greening of ‘SFZ1901’ (February 27) was significantly earlier than that of ‘Himeno’ (March 18), and the time of coloring (in autumn) of ‘SFZ1901’ (January 7) was extremely later than that of ‘Himeno’ (December 25) (see also
When compared to the other two similar varieties, ‘Meyer’ and ‘Emerald’, the leaf blade length of ‘SFZ1901’ (37.0 mm) was also significantly shorter than those of ‘Meyer’ (60.8 mm) and ‘Emerald’ (44.2 mm), and the vigor of early stage of ‘SFZ1901’ was poorer than those of ‘Meyer’ and ‘Emerald’ (see
Furthermore, the time of greening of ‘SFZ1901’ (February 27) was earlier than those of ‘Meyer’ (March 10) and ‘Emerald’ (March 6), and the time of coloring (in autumn) of ‘SFZ1901’ (January 7) was significantly later than that of ‘Meyer’ (December 13) (see also
It is apparent from
The above results confirm the distinctness of ‘SFZ1901’ from the other major varieties of Zoysia grass.
As described herein above, since ‘SFZ1901’ has short leaf blade length (37.0 mm) as well as slow aboveground parts and stolon elongation rate, if this variety is used for greening of park, garden or rooftop, or used as home lawn, both frequency and labor of lawn mowing can be reduced, and thus management savings can be achieved.
In addition, as the time of greening of ‘SFZ1901’ is relatively early (February 27) and the time of coloring is relatively late (January 7), ‘SFZ1901’ can maintain its greenness for a long time even in winter, so that this variety can maintain its aesthetics relatively longer than other Zoysia grass varieties.
Therefore, ‘SFZ1901’ is considered to be a management-savings type of Zoysia grass, and is promising as a suitable and ideal Zoysia grass for greening of park, garden or rooftop, and also as home lawn.
The following is a detailed botanical description of the new variety of Zoysia grass ‘SFZ1901’, based upon observations of 1 to 2 years old specimens grown in Miyazaki-city, Miyazaki-prefecture, Japan, with color notations based on The R.H.S. Color Chart 2015.
