lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllll USOOPPO7880P United States Patent [191 [11] Patent Number: Plant 7,880 Cripps [45] Date of Patent: Jun. 9, 1992

[54] TREE CULTIVAR Primary Examiner-James R. Feyrer Attorney, Agent, or Firm-—Chernoff, Vilhauer, McClung [75] Inventor: John E. Cripps, Florent Park, & Stenzel Australia [73] Assignee: Western Australia Department of [57] ABSTRACT Agriculture, South Perth, Australia A new variety of apple tree selected from a seedling population of a planned cross, characterized by the [2]] Appl. No.: 599,347 taste, ?avor and aroma of its high dessert quality sun [22] Filed: Oct. 18, 1990 burn-resistant fruits which have good cold storage and retail shelf life. [51] ‘1.... cu ...... AOIH 5/00 [52] US. Cl...... Plt./34 [58] Field of Search ...... Plt. 34 5 Drawing Sheets

1 2 The new seedling variety has been reproduced asexu BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE ally by. budding and grafting. All subsequent asexually INVENTION produced generations have been true to form in both This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of their growth and fruiting characteristics and show that apple tree which was selected from a population of the foregoing characteristics come true and are estab seedlings resulting from a planned cross between the lished and transmitted through succeeding propagations varieties Lady Williams (unpatented chance seedling and generations. discovered in Western Australia) and ' The following Drawings and Detailed Description of (unpatented chance seedling discovered in the State of the Invention are taken from twenty (20) progeny trees West Virginia). The crosses were made in 1973 by John O in their third leaf year at the Manjiump Horticultural Cripps, Senior Research Officer, Western Australia Research Centre during the summer of 1988. Department of Agriculture at the Manjiump Horticul tural Research Centre in Western Australia. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The new seedling variety ?rst fruited in 1979 and was subsequently selected for propagation and further test FIG. 1 shows the new variety apple tree bearing fruit. ing. Second and third generation trees have now borne FIG. 2 is a close-up of one branch of the new variety fruit. It since has been recognized and selected as a new bearing fruit. and improved apple variety which is distinctive from its FIG. 3 shows the foliage of the new variety. parents as well as from all other apple varieties. The FIG. 4 shows the ?owers of the new variety in bud variety produces large asymmetrical, uniquely ?avored stage. with a partial pink-red blush on a yellow-green FIG. 5 shows the ?owers of the new variety as the buds background which mature in early May in Western break. Australia. Its distinctive features include: FIG. 6 is a close-up of the side of fruit grown on the new variety. 1. A strong upright growth form and habit similar to FIG. '7 is a close-up of the top of fruit shown on the new that exhibited by its parent Lady Williams. variety. 2. Low winter chilling requirements. 3. The ability to ?ower and fruit precociously and set The following is a detailed description of the new fruit on one-year old upright growth. apple variety with color terminology in accordance 4. Fruit having high tolerance to sunburn and a medium with the Munsell Color Cascade Chart except where to thin skin which doesn’t crack. general color terms of ordinary dictionary signi?cance 5. Fruit having a smooth ?ne ?esh texture which resists browning after being cut and exposed to air. are used. 6. Fruit having high soluble sugars. 7. Fruit having an ability to retain long retail shelf life. 35 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE I 8. Fruit having a long cold storage life of up to six INVENTION months allowing marketing ?exibility. Parentage: A cross of “Golden Delicious” and “Lady Preliminary cold storage tests on apples harvested Williams” apple varieties. from three-year old trees grown at the Manjiump Re Locality where grown and observed: Manjiump Horti search Centre indicate that this variety does not de cultural Research Centre, Western Australia. velop a bitter pit and is highly tolerant to cold storage. Dates of ?rst and last pickings: About May 1 and May The variety has inherited the sunburn resistance, low 10, respectively. chilling requirements and the strong upright growth Tree: Medium to large with dense foliage. Upright habit exhibited by one of its parents (Lady Williams) 45 habit, unpruned height to width ratio approximately and the excellent fruit quality (high sugar, crisp juicy 1.5 to 1.0 after 3 years. ?esh, thin skin and aromatic ?avor) of both of its parent Vigor. -—Very vigorous, young trees average about varieties. 1.9 meters of new growth during the growing Plant 7,880 3 4 season in the nursery row following bud place- Form-Asymmetrical, ellipsoid prominent ribbed sur ment. face. Medium distal crowns, rounded at base, sides Trank-Medium stocky, smooth. slightly unbroken, unequal. Branches-Thick, smooth, upright. Axis. —Nonvertical. Branching habit. —Much branched with average 5 CaVI'Iy-f-ACUFB, deep, mfidium Width, Symmetrical, branching angles (inside measurement) of greenish, with very slight unbroken russet. 45°-50° if allowed t0 grow naturally, Basin-Medium crown, ribbed, wide, open, me Pruning and training requirements-Dependent dmm depth; Markings." None upon the dwar?ng ability fo the rootstock used. Sepals-5480mm’ touchmg' _ _ Adaptable to several styles, but best suited to 10 stefn-r-Medlum length’ medium thlckness, not “central leader” or “slender spindle” type train- hPPed- Length — 2045 mm' Breadth '- 5'6

ing. ‘ mm- . I Thinning requirements. —-Not subject to the annual Calyx-Closed, v'shapedi medium W‘dth and_ me‘ bearing habits of some apple cultivars. Use of 15 dmm depth- calyx lobes "' Re?exed and dwer' common chemical thinning methods for non- gem-“11mm” "‘ None‘ , annual bearing varieties should be employed. Skim-Bumpy, greasy- B10011”! _ absent cralilng Colon __Grecn_brown (22_14)_ tendency — absent. Thickness — medium. Shape oftipbud __Rounded Ground color — yellow-green (23-8). Percent Lenn-cels _Nm'nerous medium large age of red overcolor —— 50% to 60%. Overcolor Leaves: Large,. wide, long,, oval, convex, . pointed, me- 2 0 of 5km_ _. rcd (39 _ 12)’ Russet. __ none‘ Lemmas_ dium thick’ smooth -— medium, numerous, roundish. Length.--108 mm (from 4th to 6th fully expanded). Rik-12.1162,” ?ll?‘ siglzgigtfgatzt T2222: : Width-67 mm (from 4th to 6th fully expanded). 1F“? a or 1 d h. h] ' . 1. Co10r.—Green (20-12), medium glossy on upper 25 Dlsgmit’ comp ex an 1g y ammatlc' Qua Hy . — es . lsurface’ gileen (20-10) with weak pubescence on Cora-Median. Bundle area —- Medium small, Maggy Sig-i351? serrate crenate symmetrical. Halves of area - Equal. Bundles . '_ . ’ ' —- Inconspicuous. Core lines — Meeting, heart penolif'li‘ong’ megiulrg slender’ pubescent’ Color shaped. Calyx tube -- Funnel-form, Pubescence, Sig’; 1e 18 strglclen ( ' )' 30 none. Stem or funnel — Medium long. Depth of "— _‘ , , tube to shoulder — About 5 mm. Entire depth — Cen.”aIl.eafve”.1'_C0]°r _ hght green (19'6) with About 12 mm. Styles -— Some present, united at P1 pm: ttmgle towrad basal end‘ base. Stamens — Median, in one whorl. Carpels owe“: a 6’ arge' — Closed, axile, s mmetrical, smooth, cordate Dates of ?rst and full bI00m.-—About October 10 35 form, emarginateyat Outer edge near tip and_ November 10’ respecn‘iely‘ The Sublect Browning of the flesh (one hour after being cut, vanety has a pmlonged ?owermg seas?“ Come‘ with stainless steel knife) —- Weak. Firmness of quefltly there 15 T10 dlslmct ?°\’V_¢r1ng Phase the ?esh (measurement with penetrometer) — whlch can be classified as early, mid or late. It 40 Firm Pressure and percent sugar (average of 10 continues to ?ower moderately with a progres fruit) — Pressure at harvest, 8.1 kg/cm3. % sion of ?owering buds which open through a sugar at harvest, 13.6%. Pressure 3-mo cool four to six week (October/November) ?owering store, 6.8 kg/cm3. % sugar 3-mo cool store, season. Since this cultivar has not been grown in 13.4%. the USA, no blooming or harvest dates are avail Other Characteristics: able for local COIIditiOnS- 45 Seeds-One or two per cell, not tufted, acute at Size.-Medium to large. point, 8-9 mm long, 5 mm wide, obtuse, dark Colon-Red (closed) then pink (open). brown (31-15). Winter chill requirements — Es Dormant fruit bud shape. —-Conical. timated winter chilling requirements are less Position of margin of petals-Free to touching. 50 than 400 hours below 7° C. Potentially adaptable Fruit: to temperature, mediterranean and partially sub- _ Maturity when described. --Eating ripe. tropical climate zones. Soluble sugars mg/g dry Size.--Large, uniform. Length -- about 78.3 mm wt -- 698 (29). Soluble sugars mg/g fresh wt - Breadth -- about 82.1 mm Mean fruit weight — 111 (7). Soluable solids g/ 100 m1 — 13.9 (0.9). about 195 grams. 55 Drymatter % —- 15.9 (0.8). Production-Fifth year trees at Manjiump Horti cultural Centre bore 4 bushels per tree per year , _ . . Pollmanon: with average crop size of 88-100 count. ‘ _ _ Coloration. —Fruit has a striking pink blush (absent P°“““‘°' L‘dy w'n'am . . . % Set 1988 : 55% of striping) covering 30-80% of the apple sur- 60 1989 = 0% face. The pink blush coloration develops gradu- 1990 = 50% ally in the late season and overlies a yellow- Pdllnm' HiEa'lY green background. Coloration continues to in- % Sc‘ :33: 2 lg; crease before the harvest season and even as 1990 g 55% fruits are harvested if the fruits are exposed to 65 Pvllinawr sunlight. Coloration is fuller for apples exposed % 5*“ i333 = 55% . . . . = 10% to full sunlight than fruit hanglng m shaded ar- 1990 2 N/A 685. Pollinator Golden Delicious Plant 7,880 5 6

-cont1nued. -continued Pollination: Pollination: 1990 = 709?

% Set 1988 2 50% 5 Use: Dessert, market. 1989 = 0% Keeping. quality:. Good (up to SIX. months 1n1 coldroom ‘990 = 30% storage and 10-12 months in CA. storage) Retail pollinator shelf life of approximately four weeks at temperatures 10 of 15-18 degrees C '7 S t 1988 = 557 . . . ' 0 e c What 1s claimed 15: 1939 = 35% 1. A new variety of apple tree substantially as herein 1990 = 60% shown and described characterized by its ability to pollinator Sundowner produce high quality dessert type fruits on spurs grow 15 mg on upright limbs, ?rm, Juicy, creamy-white ?esh % Sc‘ 1988 = 25% and excellent storage characteristics. 19s9=10% * * * * *

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65 US. Patent June 9,1992 Sheet 1 of 5 Plant 7,880 US. Patent June 9, 1992 Sheet 2 of 5 Plant 7,880 US. Patent June 9,1992 Sheet 3 of 5 Plant 7,880

FIG.4 US. Patent June 9,1992 Sheet 4 of 5 Plant 7,880 US. Patent June 9,1992 Sheet 5 of 5 Plant 7,880