HIIIIllllillllllllillIlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllHIIl USOOPPO7956P United States Patent [191 [11] Patent Number: Plant 7,956 Alston [45] Date of Patent: Sep. 1, 1992

[54] APPLE TREE — FIESTA CULTIVAR [57] ABSTRACT [75] Inventor: Frank H. Alston, Maidstone, A new and distinct variety of high yielding dessert England apple tree is provided which originated as a cross be [73] Assignee: Plant Breeding International tween the Cox’s Orange Pippin cultivar and the Idared Cambridge Limited, Cambridge, cultivar. The fruit is an attractive bright red on a yel United Kingdom low-green background, possesses an excellent ?avor, and exhibits an extended storage life. The growth habit [21] Appl. No.: 639,271 is precocious and leads to the formation of a tree which [22] Filed: Dec. 24, 1990 is larger in size than Cox’s Orange Pippin. The branches form wide angles and commonly are drooping particu [51] Int. Cl.5 ...... AOII-I 5/00 larly on young trees. The fruit skin ?nish is superior and [52] US. Cl...... of a brighter coloration than that of Cox’s Orange Pip [58] Field of Search ...... Plt. 34 pin cultivar. Primary Examiner-James R. Feyrer Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Burns, Doane, Swecker & Mathis 3 Drawing Sheets

1 2 (d) commonly exhibits a genetic leaf mottle which is SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION unrelated to disease. The new cultivar of dessert apple tree was created by pollination wherein two parents were crossed which The new cultivar has been found to perform well on previously had been studied in the hope that they would 5 dwar?ng rootstocks, such as M9 and M27, and on contribute the desired characteristics. The resulting semidwar?ng rootstocks such as MM106. When the family of seedlings was germinated during 1973 at the new cultivar is grown on MMlO6 rootstock, the result East Malling Research Station of the Kent Incorpo ing trees of the new cultivar commonly are approxi rated Society for Promoting Experiments in Horticul mately twenty-?ve percent larger than those of the ture, East Malling, Maidstone, Kent, ME19 6B1, En Cox’s Orange Pippin cultivar.‘ It is not recommended gland (now Horticulture Research International) where that trees of the new cultivar be grown on their own subsequent selection was carried out. The female parent roots. (i.e., the seed parent) of the new cultivar was the Cox’s The fruit of the new cultivar is superior to that of Orange Pippin cultivar (nonpatented in the United each of its parents. The fruit exhibits a brighter red States). The Male parent (i.e., the pollen parent) of the 15 overall appearance than the Cox’s Orange Pippin culti new cultivar was the Idared cultivar (nonpatented in var and the skin ?nish is considerably more attractive. the United States). The Idared cultivar was formed by More speci?cally, the skin ?nish of the Cox’s Orange crossing the Jonathan and Wagener cultivars and was Pippin cultivar commonly is at least partially russetted introduced during 1942 by the Idaho Agricultural Ex while the skin ?nish of the new cultivar commonly bears little or no russet and is smooth and shiny without periment Station, Moscow, Id. The parentage of the undue greasiness at the time of harvest. new cultivar can be summarized as follows: The extent of the red fruit coloration is in?uenced by COX‘S ORANGE PIPPIN XIDARED. the level of exposure to direct sunlight and commonly covers approximately ?fty percent of the skin surface. The seeds resulting. from the above pollination. . were 25 The fruit of the new cultivar exhibits a sweet but tart ?avor with a pleasant aromatic taste. The fruit also has sown and plants were obtained which were physically been demonstrated to exhibit signi?cantly improved and biologically different from each other. Selective storage characteristics with good retention of fruit qual study has resulted in the identification of a single plant ity which exceeds the storage life of the Cox’s Orange of the new cultivar. . 30 Pippin cultivar. For instance, the fruit of the new culti It was found that the new cultivar of dessert apple var can be stored in air at 3.5" C. until January, and until tree possesses the following combination of characteris June when stored in controlled atmosphere of <1 per tiSCS: cent carbon dioxide and 1.25 percent oxygen. Accord ingly, the fruit of the new cultivar is expected to com (a) is precocious and assumes a larger size than the 35 pete favorably in the marketplace during May and June Cox’s Orange Pippin cultivar, . with fruit importations from the southern hemisphere. (b) exhibits a somewhat drooping growth habit which is The new cultivar has been found to fall within polli particularly noticeable in young trees, nation Group No. 3 together with the Cox’s Orange (c) forms in good yields attractive round and slightly Pippin, Jonathan, and Wagener cultivars. The new ?attened fruit having a smooth and shiny surface with 40 cultivar commonly ?owers approximately two days a bright red blush which may be present as stripes and later than the Cox’s Orange pippin cultivar. It is favor speckles on a yellow-green background and possess able to pollen from Gala, Katy, Golden Delicious, and ing an excellent ?avor which is well retained upon 7 most any compatible diploid which produces pollen at storage, and the appropriate time. The new cultivar has exhibited a Plant 7,956 3 4 slight tendency to self-fertility. Additionally, its styles ness, and the lenticels are present in a moderate have been demonstrated to be somewhat more recep quantity. tive to pollen at lower temperatures than those the Leaves: Cox's Orange Pippin parent. Preliminary testing has Leaf con?guration. —Elongated, and commonly suggested that the new cultivar may not be a good 5 . exhibit a length to width ratio of approximately pollinator for Cox’s Orange Pippin. 1.9:1. No signi?cant physiological disorders are known for Leaf margin.—Crenate. the new cultivar. Slight fruit storage disorders have Leaf appearance-Medium glossy (as illustrated). been noted occasionally and manganese toxicity has Peti0Ie.—Long, and approximately 28 mm. in been observed in some nursery trees of the new cultivar. length on average. 7 It has been found to be susceptible to European canker, Leaf posture-Generally outwards. mildew, and scab. However, these can be readily con Flowers: trolled through the use of conventional spray programs. Dormant bud shape-ovoid. The performance of the new cultivar has been evalu Bud pubescence.—Medium. ated at the East Malling‘Research Station; the National Bud color.—Deep pink, Red Group 55A. Fruit Trials at Faversham, Kent, ME13 8XZ, England; Beginning of flowering-Approximately two days and elsewhere in the United Kingdom and Europe. later than the Cox’s Orange Pippin cultivar when The new cultivar has been propagated using virus approximately ten percent ?owering'occurs. indexed material by budding, grafting, etc., onto appro Flower con?guration. —Moderately uncupped. priate rootstocks. The characteristics of the new culti Flower size. —Medium. var have been found to be stable and to be capable of Sepals.—Predominantly green in coloration. transmission through succeeding generations by such Petal shape-Longer than broad, and commonly asexual propagation. have a length to breadth ratio of approximately 1.4:1. The new cultivar initially was designated T3l/31, Relation of petal margins. —Overlapping. and subsequently has been named the FIESTA cultivar. Styles-Slightly longer than the stamens, and tend BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS to be attached away from the base. Fruit: The accompanying photographs show typical speci Predominance of bearing. —On spurs. mens of the new variety as depicted in color as nearly Size-Medium, approximately 64 mm. in diameter true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in on average. color illustrations of this character. The photographs Shape-—Globose-conical. were taken during the month of September. FIGS. 1 Symmetry in sideview.—-Asymmetric. and 2 were obtained during 1983 at the National Fruit Ribbing.—Absent. Trials, Faversham, Kent, England. 35 Crowning at distal end. —Present. FIG. 1 illustrates a four to ?ve year-old tree of the Aperture of eye. —Closed. new cultivar and shows the typical drooping growth Size of eye-Medium. habit and the distribution of the fruit. Length of sepal. —Medium. FIG. 2 illustrates a closer view of the typical fruit of Attitude of sepal.—Partially re?exed. the new cultivar during the course of ripening while Spacing of sepals at base. —Touching. present on the tree. It will be noted that those portions Ribbing of basin-Present. of the fruit which are in full sun generally assume more Protrusion of stalk —Moderately beyond cavity. of the overlying red coloration. Also, the typical green Thickness of stalk-Relatively thick. yellow mottling is visible on some of the leaves which is Length of stalk —Medium to long. not the result of a virus infection. 45 Stalk cavity depth. —Medium. FIG. 3 illustrates ?ve typical ripe fruits of the new Surface texture of skin-Smooth. cultivar. Bloom of skin. —Absent. ' v v Greasiness of skin. —Abse'nt at harvest time. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Cracking tendency of skin. —Absent. The following is a detailed description of the new Skin color. —Ground color is Yellow-Green Group cultivar. The specimens described were grown at the 150B and the over color is Red Group 46A or Brogdale Experimental Horticulture Station, Faver Red Group 46B which commonly includes sham, Kent, ME13 8XZ, England. The chart used in the stripes and speckles in its distribution over ap identi?cation of colors is that of The Royal Horticul proximately ?fty percent of the fruit surface. tural Society (R.H.S. Colour Chart). 55 Russet. —Absent or weak. Position of russeL-Around the cavity when pres Tree: cm. Habit of branches. —Branches tend to droop (as Lenticels.—Small in size. illustrated in FIG. 1), this characteristic is partic Color of?esh. —Cream to white. ularly apparent when young trees are observed, Browning of?esh. —Weak. and the branch angles tend to be wide. Position of stamens-Marginal when examined in Growth habit. —When present on MM 106 rootstock longitudinal section. the tree is approximately twenty-?ve percent Shape of core-Symmetric when examined in lon larger than its parent, the Cox’s Orange Pippin gitudinal section. cultivar, at the age of four years. 65 Distinctness of coreIine.—Absent or very weak Vigon-Strong. when examined in cross-section. Dormant one year old shoot.—-Pubescence is only Aperture of cells. ,—Closed when examinedin cross weakly present, there is a medium leader thick section. Plant 7,956 5 6 Color of fresh seed.—Brown. (c) forms in good yields attractive round and slightly Maturity date.—Mid-season. ?attened fruit having a smooth and shiny surface with a bright red blush which may be present as stripes and I claim: speckles on a yellow-green background and possess ]. A new and distinct variety of apple tree having the 5 ing an excellent ?avor which is well retained upon following combination of characteristics: storage, and (d) commonly exhibits a genetic leaf mottle which is (a) is precocious and assumes a larger size than the unrelated to disease; Cox’s Orange Pippin cultivar, (b) exhibits a somewhat drooping growth habit which is 10 substantially as herein shown and described. particularly noticeable in young trees, “ * * * *

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65 US. Patent September 1, 1992 Sheet 1 of 3 Plant 7,956

FIG. 1 U.S. Patent September 1, 1992 Sheet 2 of 3 Plant 7,95¢ US. Patent September 1, 1992 Sheet 3 0f 3 Plant 7,956

FIG. 3