Celery morphology

Abstract

The invention relates to a celery plant (Apium graveolens L. dulce) carrying a genetic determinant that leads to short leaf blades and/or a more uniform distribution of stem lengths as compared to celery plants not carrying the genetic determinant, wherein said determinant is obtainable by introgression from a plant grown from seed of which a representative sample was deposited with the NCIMB under accession number NCIMB 41513. The invention also relates to seeds and other propagation material of the plant and to its progeny as well as to food products that comprise the consumable parts of the plant.

Claims

1. A method for producing a celery plant (Apium graveolens L. dulce) having a ratio between average leaf blade length in cm and average stick length in cm of less than 1.0 and a standard deviation of stick lengths in cm within the plant of not more than 2.4 at the stage of full leaf expansion, said method comprising growing a plant from seed that was deposited with the NCIMB under accession number 41513.

2. A method of producing a celery plant (Apium graveolens L. dulce) comprising crossing a first Apium graveolens L. dulce parent plant with a second Apium graveolens L. dulce parent plant and harvesting the resultant hybrid seed, wherein said first parent plant and/or said second parent plant is grown from seed that was deposited with the NCIMB under accession number 41513.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the celery plant has leaf blades shorter than 27 cm.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the celery plant has leaf blades shorter than 21 cm.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the celery plant has leaf blades shorter than 18 cm.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the standard deviation of stick lengths in cm within the celery plant is not more than 2.2.

7. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the standard deviation of stick lengths in cm within the celery plant is not more than 1.8.

8. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the standard deviation of stick lengths in cm within the celery plant is not more than 1.5.

9. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the standard deviation of stick lengths in cm within the celery plant is not more than 1.3.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the celery plant has leaf blades shorter than 27 cm.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the celery plant has leaf blades shorter than 21 cm or 18 cm.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the standard deviation of stick length in cm within the celery plant is not more than 2.2 or 1.8.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the standard deviation of stick length in cm within the celery plant is not more than 1.5 or 1.3.

Description

(1) The invention will be further illustrated in the Examples that follow. In the Example reference is made to the following figures:

(2) FIG. 1 shows the entire celery plant of the existing type.

(3) FIG. 2 shows the different stems and heart of the celery plant of FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates the description of a celery leaf according to UPOV TG/82/4.

(5) FIG. 4 shows on the left two normal celery plants and on the right two plants of the invention.

(6) FIG. 5A shows plants of the invention with separated leaves.

(7) FIG. 5B shows a normal celery plant.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

(8) Creation of Celery Plants of the Invention

(9) In research that led to the invention, a cross was made between 2 fertile plants from lines from Apium graveolens dulce (celery or stalk celery) and Apium graveolens secalinum (cutting celery or leaf celery). The crosses have been made with insects. In the F2 of this specific cross, plants with an unexpected different habit were found.

(10) A. graveolens secalinum is known for its use of the leaves, and the plants therefore mainly consist of long leaf blades and thin petioles, as opposite to A. graveolens dulce, which is specifically used for the thick petioles or sticks. A. graveolens dulce contains on the end of the petioles also long leaf blades with long internodes. However, in the progeny of the cross between dulce and secalinum, surprisingly some plants with a different morphology were identified.

(11) These plants had unexpectedly resulted in shorter leaf blades with short internodes in combination with the long and thick petioles from dulce. This was in contradiction to the expected longer and pronounced leaf blades that are typical for leaf celery, and that are also standard in the stalk celery. Therefore, the two parents with long leaf blades and long internodes produced progeny plants with short leaf blades and short internodes.

(12) Further development was carried out through inbred and half-sib selection. After several cycles the new type became more uniform with the first joints on the same height (FIG. 4), resulting in a distribution of petiole lengths within a plant with a low standard deviation. The differences in length of the individual petioles of a plant were very small. This results in a very uniform harvestable product, as there is a high number of sticks almost the same length. It also results in a lower amount of waste, as less cutting of the sticks needs to be done to acquire sticks of the same length.

(13) Also the leaf tips are uniform on the same height. Furthermore, the leaf blades above the joint are significantly shorter in the new type in comparison with a normal celery plant. Since the leaf blades of celery are typically not used and need to be cut off and disposed of, the much shorter leaf blades result in a considerably lower amount of waste.

Example 2

(14) Characterisation of Celery Plants of the Invention

(15) Plants of the invention (identified herein as “newcel”) were compared with known celery plants. Table 1 shows the results of this comparison. FIG. 5A shows plants of the invention with separated leaves. FIG. 5B shows a normal celery plant.

(16) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 total average average length leaf stick # sticks (cm): (8) blade length st. dev. per plant as in FIG. 3 length (cm) sticks “newcel” Plant 1 13 39 17.9 21.1 1.0 Plant 2 11 39 17.1 21.9 1.1 Plant 3 12 43 20.7 22.3 1.1 Plant 4 12 40 16.4 23.6 1.5 Plant 5 10 40 17.3 22.7 1.2 Plant 6 13 41 18.8 22.2 1.6 Plant 7 12 41 18.1 22.9 1.3 Plant 8 14 41 19.4 21.6 1.2 Plant 9 11 41 19.2 21.8 1.8 Plant 10 12 40 18.3 21.7 1.5 Average 12.0 40.5 18.3 22.2 1.3 Normal celery Plant 1 13 59 36.7 22.3 3.2 Plant 2 11 66 38.1 27.9 3.4 Plant 3 12 61 37.2 23.8 2.5 Plant 4 12 60 34.9 25.1 4.6 Plant 5 11 58 32.6 25.4 4.5 Plant 6 12 58 32.6 25.4 4.6 Plant 7 12 68 42.2 25.8 4.5 Plant 8 13 62 38.3 23.7 2.8 Plant 9 11 59 34.0 25.0 3.2 Plant 10 12 60 36.2 23.8 4.1 Average 11.9 61.1 36.3 24.8 3.7
It is clear from the results in Table 1 that the celery plants of the invention have significantly shorter leaf blades, a significantly shorter total length than celery plants with a comparable stick length not carrying the genetic determinant of the invention, and in addition stem length distribution within a plant is significantly more uniform in comparison with normal celery.

Example 3

(17) Introduction of the New Trait into Other Celery Plants

(18) Plants of the invention that were deposited under NCIMB accession number 41513 were crossed with normal celery plants. The F2 progeny segregated for plants that showed the same characteristics as the parent plants of NCIMB accession number 41513. Further development of these plants resulted in lines with the trait of the invention, as found in NCIMB accession number 41513.