Strawberry plant named ‘Yakima’

Abstract

The present invention provides a new and distinct strawberry variety designated as Yakima (a.k.a. 109733). Yakima is distinguished by its higher percent of marketable fruit, conical fruit shape, thicker canopy and dark green foliage color.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of strawberry plant named Yakima substantially as shown and described herein.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying color photographs depict various characteristics of the cultivar as nearly true as possible to make color reproductions.

(2) FIG. 1 shows Yakima fruit.

(3) FIG. 2 shows Yakima fruit.

(4) FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B show Yakima strawberry plants with fruit.

(5) FIG. 4 shows flowers of Yakima strawberry plant variety.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

(6) This invention relates to a new and distinctive strawberry cultivar designated as Yakima. This cultivar is primarily adapted to the climate and growing conditions of the central coast of California. This region provides the necessary temperatures required for it to produce a strong vigorous plant and to remain in fruit production from March through October. The nearby Pacific Ocean provides the needed humidity and moderate day temperatures and evening chilling to maintain fruit quality for the production months.

(7) Yakima (a.k.a. 109733)

(8) The following traits and photographs in combination distinguish the strawberry variety Yakima from known strawberry varieties. In addition, the new cultivar was confirmed to be a unique strawberry germplasm when tested against the California Seed & Plant Lab, Inc. (Elverta, Calif.) database using Short Sequence Repeats (SSRs). Plants for the botanical measurements in the present application were grown as annuals. Any color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The botanical measurements listed in Table 1 were made and recorded during the month of June.

(9) Yakima is distinguished from its paternal parent by the percent of marketable fruit (Table 2), for Yakima percent marketable fruit is twenty percentile points greater than its paternal parent Lili (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,849). Yakima is distinguished from its maternal parent Aida by the shape of its fruit. The fruit of Yakima is mostly conical, different from the longer somewhat flat wedge shape of the fruit of its parent Aida. Yakima is similar to the strawberry plant named Monterey (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,767), but possesses several distinguishing traits from Monterey. Yakima is distinguished from Monterey by the thicker canopy of Yakima and dark green foliage color of Yakima.

(10) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Characteristic Type Characteristic Yakima General Plant Habit annual Plant Growth Habit upright Day length short-day Planting season Fall Height 35 cm Width 36 cm Density of foliage medium Plant vigor high Freezing Quality moderate Rain/weather tolerance moderate to high Harvest Ease moderate Leaf Leaf Shape concave Terminal leaflet width 90 mm Terminal leaflet length 100 mm Terminal leaflet length/width 1.11 ratio Teeth per terminal leaflet 17 to 19 Shape of terminal leaflet base rounded Shape of terminal leaflet in concave to straight cross-section Shape of terminal leaflet serrate to crenate margin Color of upper side of leaflet RHS 136A Color of lower side of leaflet RHS 139C Leaf blistering weak Leaf glossiness medium Leaf variegation absent Number of leaflets 3 leaflets per leaf Leaf length 133 mm Leaf width 151 mm Terminal Leaflet margin revolute Terminal Leaflet shape Orbicular Terminal Leaflet shape of apex Rounded Limbs Petiole length 25.5 cm Petiole diameter 3.18 to 4.26 mm Petiole pubescence medium Petiole pose of hairs horizontal Petiole color RHS 145A Petiolule length 1.0 to 1.5 cm Petiolule diameter 2.08 to 2.70 mm Stipule length 3.5 cm Stipule width 0.9 to 1.0 cm Stipule pubescence dense Stipule anthocyanin absent Stipule color (color code) RHS 145C Pedicel color (color code) RHS 145A Attitude of hairs on peduncle horizontal to slightly and pedicel upwards Peduncle length 19.5 cm Pedicel length 13.8 cm Inflorescence Inflorescence position relative above to foliage Flower arrangement of petals touching Flower size medium Flower diameter 2.28 cm Petal shape orbicular Petal apex rounded Petal margin entire Petal base shape concave Petal length 1.17 cm Petal width 1.15 cm Petal length/width ratio 1.02 Petal number per flower 5 to 7 Number of flowers 16 to 36 Upper Petal color RHS 155D Lower Petal color RHS 155D Floral Calyx Diameter 4.08 cm Corolla diameter 2.28 cm Calyx diameter relative to larger corolla Inner calyx Outer calyx and inner calyx are of equal size Sepal shape elliptical Sepal apex shape acute Sepal margin entire Sepal length 1.93 cm Sepal width 0.61 cm Sepal number per flower 12 Upper Sepal color RHS 137A Lower Sepal color RHS 137C Receptacle color RHS 4A Fertility not tested Time of flowering (50% of May plants in bloom) Stigma shape rounded Stigma color RHS 4A Style length 5 mm Style color RHS 4A Ovary color RHS 138D Stamen number 25 Stamen length 2.3 mm Anther shape dorsifixed Anther shape 1.39 mm Anther color RHS 6A Pollen amount scarce to moderate Pollen color RHS 163B Filament color RHS 145C Filament length 1.2 to 2.8 mm Fruit Fruiting truss length 6 to 17 cm Fruiting truss diameter 1.4 mm Number of fruit per truss 1 to 5 Fruit length 5.3 cm Fruit width 4.3 cm Fruit skin color RHS 45A Fruit flesh color excluding RHS 44A core Fruit core color RHS 41B Fruit length/width ratio 1.23 Fruit weight 33 g Relative fruit size medium to large Predominant fruit shape long conic and long wedge Shape difference between No shape difference primary & secondary fruits Width of band without of narrow achenes Fruit glossiness strong Position of achenes below surface Achene color RHS 151D Achenes per fruit 340 Achene weight 0.238 g Position of calyx even Fruit Calyx Diameter 5.5 cm Level of adherence of calyx medium Color of calyx RHS 137C Pose of calyx segments reflexed Size of calyx in relation same to fruit Firmness of flesh medium to firm Evenness of flesh color nearly even Fruit hollow length 2.3 cm Fruit hollow width 1.4 cm Fruit hollow length/width ratio 1.64 Hollow center absent to medium Sweetness 7 to 14 Brix pH 3.33 Texture when tasted fine to medium Time of flowering April through August Time of fruit ripening May Harvest maturity (50% of June plants with ripe fruit) Type of bearing short-day Grams of fruit per plant June: 721 g Yield (lb per acre) June: 31,791 lb/acre Firmness medium to firm Surface Texture smooth Appearance Score (rating 4 scale 1 to 5; 5 = best) Storage longevity 5 to 10 days Cull rate: 1% Usable <10% Stolon Stolon number 1 to 3 Stolon length from crown to 22.4 cm first daughter Pubescence density dense Intensity of anthocyanin absent coloration Stolon color RHS N144D Disease Plant/fruit disease resistant to Fusarium Resistance wilt Pest resistance/susceptibility resistant to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae; susceptible to Colletotrichum acutatum Other Plant hardness zone USDA hardiness characteristics zone 9b Shipping quality and fruit The fruit of the Yakima market use strawberry plant is suitable for shipping and merchandising for distant commercial markets. Short-day designation Differentiation of new florescence is required for a prior period of vernalization. (short-day genotype)

(11) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Strawberry fruit summary statistic means of yield, percent marketable, flavor, firmness, figure and size during weeks 15 to 37 over years; Watsonville, California. Mean Mean Mean fruit Mean Mean grams fruit fruit height/width hardness in per clone height width (fHeight/ Newtons (N) ( grams/ Variety (fHeight) (fWidth) fWidth) ( hardness) clone) Yakima 51.0304 40.2999 1.26626 8.79292 1622 Lili 40.2262 35.8540 1.12194 8.78205 1304 Mean Mean skin- Mean percent of resistance- Mean Kilos/ market- Mean to-abrasion categorical acre able fruit size categorical flavor ( kilos/ fruit ( % in Grams ( rating rating Variety acre) Usable) frtSizeGrms) ( skin-r) ( flavor) Yakima 32,443 0.905 31.39 2.13004 2.84304 Lili 26,089 0.797 29.95 2.09745 3.05084