Abstract
A new and distinct tangor tree characterized by less sensitivity to fruit drop due to heat wave, no alternate bearing, very low seed count, low viable pollen, better fruit size, smooth rind, less fruit drop at full maturity and rare Ceratitis capitata damage on the fruit.
Claims
1. A new and distinct tangor tree named ‘Sweet Cott 3’, as herein shown and described.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The accompanying illustrations show typical specimens of the tree, flowers, and fruit of ‘Sweet Cott 3’ depicted in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in a color illustration of this character.
(2) FIG. 1 is a photograph of ‘Sweet Cott 3’ tree canopy with the upright growth.
(3) FIG. 2 is a photograph of ‘Sweet Cott 3’ trunk showing that the stem is strong with smooth bark. It has slight ridges and has an equal diameter with the root-stock.
(4) FIG. 3 is a photograph of a ‘Sweet Cott 3’ first year twig, which is green and glabrous and moderately thick.
(5) FIG. 4 is a photograph of a ‘Sweet Cott 3’ second year twig, which is striate.
(6) FIG. 5 is a photograph of a ‘Sweet Cott 3’ leaf, showing elliptic shape.
(7) FIG. 6 is a photograph of a ‘Sweet Cott 3’ leaf, showing apex slightly emarginated.
(8) FIG. 7 is a photograph of a ‘Sweet Cott 3’ petiole, showing it is glabrous with no wings.
(9) FIGS. 8-10 are photographs of a ‘Sweet Cott 3’ type 1 flower with one set of petals.
(10) FIGS. 11-13 are photographs of a ‘Sweet Cott 3’ type 2 flower with two sets of petals, and showing oil glands.
(11) FIG. 14 is a photograph of ‘Sweet Cott 3’ fruits, with stylar areola and stalk moderate grooves.
(12) FIG. 15 is a photograph of a comparison between ‘Sweet Cott 3’ fruits (2 seed/fruit) and ‘AS-2’ fruit, here indicated as ‘Témoin’ (19 seeds/fruit).
(13) FIG. 16 is a photograph of a ‘Sweet Cott 3’ fruit peel, with a thickness of 2.2 mm.
(14) FIG. 17 is a photograph of ‘Sweet Cott 3’ fruit juice bag width of 3 mm.
(15) FIG. 18 is a photograph of ‘Sweet Cott 3’ fruit juice bag length of 12 mm.
(16) FIG. 19 is a photograph comparing juice from late Valencia and ‘Sweet Cott 3’ fruit.
DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
(17) The following is a detailed description of the new tangor tree selection ‘Sweet Cott 3’ with color descriptions using terminology in accordance with The Royal Horticultural Society (London) Color Chart, 4.sup.th Edition, (2001), except where ordinary dictionary significance of color is indicated. Observations were made of a 5-year old tree. Tree: Plant diameter.—325 cm on a 4-year-old tree on Citrus volkameriana root-stock. Trunk.—Stem is firm with a smooth bark; it has some ridges and its diameter is equal to the root-stock. See FIG. 2. Canopy.—Moderately vigorous with an ellipsoid shape and an upright growth. The density of branches is medium; their attachment angle is rather narrow. See FIG. 1. Twig.—First year twig is glabrous, moderately thick and has a green color. See FIG. 3. It becomes subsequently striate with age. See FIG. 4. Thorns are absent and spines are rarely present. Growth conditions.—No particular farming techniques are needed to grow ‘Sweet Cott 3’. It does not require any special conditions beside what is usually applied for Citrus production. Stem description: Stem length.—712 mm. Diameter.—105 mm. Texture.—Smooth bark with some ridges. Strength.—Strong. Color.—RHS N 197 A (Light Olive Light Brown). Leaf description: Unifoliate, plane and elliptic in shape with a glabrous non-winged petiole. The lamina is dotted with medium size oil glands. It has an obtuse apex slightly emarginated and an entire margin but sometimes slightly crenate. Shape.—Elliptic. Length.—86 mm. Width.—34 mm. Apex.—Obtuse with slight emargination. Margin.—Slightly sinuated. Texture (both surfaces).—Glabrous. Color.—Adaxial: RHS 137 D (Moderate Yellowish Green); Abaxial: RHS 139 B (Moderate Yellow Green). Petiolate or sessile.—Petiolate. Petiole length: 8 mm. Petiole diameter: 1.12 mm. Petiole color: RHS 146 B (Moderate Yellow Green). Root description: Grafted on Citrus volkameriana root-stock. Flowers: ‘Sweet Cott 3’ has 2 types of flowers. Type 2 flower differs from type 1 by having 2 sets of petals. ‘Sweet Cott 3’ flowers in mid-March and is very productive. It is not prone to alternate bearing in spite of very late harvest of the previous crop. Height.—13.2 mm. Diameter.—9 mm before anthesis. Typical date of bloom.—Mid-March in Beni Mellal, Morocco. Number of flowers.—2 types in singles and clusters. Color.—RHS 155 D (Yellowish White). Type 1 flower.—Set of petals: 1. Pedicel: up to 12 mm in length. Calyx: 5 mm in diameter with 5 sepals arranged in a cup-like structure. Sepal shape is an equilateral triangle with a side length of 4 mm. Color is RHS 137 D (moderate yellowish-Green). Corolla: composed of 5 petals (16.2 mm in length and 5.2 mm in width) arranged in a circle in alternation with the sepals. Stamens: about 15 to 20 in number that seem to be sticking together at their lower part, arranged in a circle. Each stamen has an anther composed of 2 parallel longiform lobs of 2.5 mm in length. The stamens circle the pistil and their anthers are positioned around the stigma at about its same height. Type 2 flower.—Set of petals: 2. The outer set of petals: similar to petals of the type 1 flowers but contains a greater number of oil glands much more conspicuous. The inner set of petals: alternate with the petals of the outer set and differ in their shape as their lower portion is narrow and their upper portion (about ⅓.sup.rd) is large and has a cup-like form which covers the anthers. Rostellum: Length.—9 mm. Thickness.—1.2 mm. Color.—RHS 154 B (Brilliant Yellowish Green). Fruit: Fruit attachment to the stalk is strong with no neck. It sometimes shows short radial grooves, which are not always conspicuous. Shape.—Slightly round. Larger than long and has an obloid form. Diameter at equatorial level.—68-80 mm and it is truncate at both stalk and distal parts. The distal end is slightly depressed and has a perceptible smooth areola of round form and medium size. Width.—70 mm. Texture.—Smooth with a slight rough look due to oil glands. Color.—Green fruit — RHS 126 A (medium blue Green); non-dehiscent fruit — RHS N30B (Strong Reddish Orange). Fruit rind.—Dark orange in color RHS N30B and has a thickness of about 2.2 mm shared equally by flavedo and albedo. The rind is dotted with oil glands at a density of 20 small glands per cm.sup.2 of about 0.8 mm in diameter, and a larger number of tiny oil glands (about 80/cm.sup.2). The rind is smooth but with conspicuous oil glands, it has a slight rough look. The albedo is of pinkish white color RHS N155B and shows visible cracking which tends to increase with the progress of ripening. Segments.—11 to 13 which are uniform with a thin membrane. Seeds.—Mean seed count under high cross pollination pressure in mixed bloc with ‘Nadorcott’, Rough Lemon and Clementine in adjacent rows was 2 seeds per fruit. Seeds are polyembryonic and seed-coat is of yellowish-White color RHS 155 D. Fruit axis.—Hollow with a diameter of about 12 mm. Peel thickness.—2.2 mm (FIG. 16). Stylar.—A small stylar scar is visible at its center. Navel.—No internal navel is visible when the fruit is peeled. Pulp.—Strong reddish orange color RHS N25B, it is firm and fleshy. Juice vesicles are steady rolls of 10 mm long and 3 mm large. The percentage of juice in the endocarp exceeds 50%, Total Soluble Solids (TSS) varies from 11 to 16% and Titratable Acidity (TA) varies from 12 to 0.75 with maturity progress. Production: Extrapolation of yield of ‘Sweet Cott 3’ after 5 yrs post-planting with a spacing of 6 by 2 m will exceed 70 Kg of fruit per tree (>55 000 Kg/Ha). Tolerance to heat waves: ‘Sweet Cott 3’ is far more resistant than common varieties that suffer great fruit drops due to mid-spring heat waves which cause heavy losses to Citrus when they occur in the Mediterranean Basin. Tolerance to frost: ‘Sweet Cott 3’ is more tolerant to frost damage than oranges and clementine. Many days of −2° C. to −4° C. in February did not cause any significant damage as was the case with other varieties. Resistance to Ceratitis: Fruit of ‘Sweet Cott 3’ appear to not be attractive to the fruit fly, and seldom fruit damage due to Ceratitis capitate is observed. Market use: Fruit of ‘Sweet Cott 3’ is intended mainly for fresh fruit consumption, but may also serve for fresh juice extraction.
