Strawberry Plant Named 'Florida Brilliance'

Abstract

A new and distinct variety of strawberry (Fragaria X ananassa), which originated from seed produced by a hand-pollinated cross between FL 11.31-14 and FL 10-153. The new strawberry, named Florida Brilliance, can be distinguished at least by its high early and total yields; exceptional fruit shape and firmness; and balanced flavor when grown in West Central Florida or other regions that have a climate similar to that of West Central Florida.

Claims

1. A new and distinct strawberry plant named Florida Brilliance as illustrated and described herein.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Florida Brilliance is illustrated by the accompanying photograph that shows 1.5-month-old specimens. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably captured by conventional photographic procedures. The photograph was captured in December of 2016 in West Central Florida.

[0010] FIG. 1. Shows 1.5-month-old whole plants, including foliage, inflorescences, and fruit at varying stages of ripeness.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

[0011] The following detailed botanical description sets forth the distinctive characteristics of Florida Brilliance. The present botanical description is of Florida Brilliance when grown under the ecological conditions that prevail during the winter production season in Balm, Fla., i.e., warm days and cool nights. Colors are objectively described using the L*a*b* color scale as measured with a colorimeter. [0012] Phenotypic Description of Fragaria X ananassa Duchesne Florida Brilliance. [0013] Classification: [0014] Botanical.Fragaria X ananassa Duchesne. [0015] Common name.Strawberry. [0016] Parentage: [0017] Seed parent.FL 11.31-14. [0018] Pollen parent.FL 10-153.. [0019] Plant: [0020] Average height.18 cm to 20 cm. [0021] Average width.27cm to 30 cm. [0022] Growth habit.Compact, semi-upright and not overly dense. [0023] Number of crowns per plant.4 to 7 depending on seasonal conditions. [0024] Vigor.Medium. [0025] Leaf: [0026] Overall description.Pinnately compound with three leaflets. [0027] Petiole: [0028] Average length.15.5 cm. [0029] Average diameter.2.5 mm to 3.0 mm. [0030] Pubescence.Light. [0031] Pubescence density.Sparse. [0032] Pose of hairs.Perpendicular. [0033] Texture.Smooth. [0034] Anthocyanin presence.Absent. [0035] Color.Medium-light green (L*=55.91, a*=16.05, b*=32.58). [0036] Petiolule: [0037] Length.Terminal leaflet: 12 mm. Lateral leaflets: 10 mm. [0038] Diameter.2 mm. [0039] Color.Medium-light green (L*=65.21, a*=13.44, b*=28.51). [0040] Stipule: [0041] Length.33 mm to 35 mm. [0042] Width.20 mm along the base of the petiole attachment. [0043] Anthocyanin presence.Occasional. [0044] Color.Light green (L*=72.72, a*=13.48, b*=35.37). [0045] Terminal leaflet: [0046] Average length.99 mm. [0047] Average breadth.91 mm. [0048] Length/width ratio.1.09. [0049] Shape in cross section.Concave. [0050] Color, upper surface.Medium-light green (L*=35.6, a*=13.9, b*=17.8). [0051] Color, lower surface.Light green (L*=51.07, a*=13.35, b*=19.0). [0052] Glossiness.Slight gloss. [0053] Base shape.Cuneate. [0054] Apex descriptor.Rounded. [0055] Pubescence density.Sparse. [0056] Texture.Moderately smooth. [0057] Venation pattern.Pinnate. [0058] Secondary leaflets: [0059] Average length.88 mm. [0060] Average breadth.81 mm. [0061] Length/width ratio.1.08. [0062] Shape in cross section.Concave. [0063] Color, upper surface.Medium-light green (L*=36.1, a*=12.8, b*=16.2). [0064] Color, lower surface.Light green (L*=50.38, a*=13.79, b*=20.36). [0065] Glossiness.Slight gloss. [0066] Base shape.Oblique rounded. [0067] Apex descriptor.Obtuse. [0068] Pubescence density.Sparse. [0069] Texture.Moderately smooth. [0070] Venation pattern.Pinnate. [0071] Leaflet margins: Crenate, with an average of 22 and 21 serrations per terminal and secondary leaflet, respectively. [0072] Stolons: [0073] Number of daughter plants.20 to 40 depending on environmental conditions. [0074] Anthocyanin presence.Occasional. [0075] Thickness.2 mm to 3 mm. [0076] Pubescence.Light. [0077] Inflorescence: [0078] Time of flowering.Partial remontancy, commencing two weeks after establishment and continually thereafter in suitable climate. [0079] Flower number per plant.45 to 60 flowers over a 4 month Florida growing season. [0080] Flower height.0 to 30 cm above soil surface depending on angle of pedicel. [0081] Position relative to canopy.Flowers open at or below canopy height. [0082] Branching of the inflorescence.At or very close to the crown. [0083] Petals: [0084] Number.6 to 8. [0085] Length.11 to 14 mm. [0086] Width.12 to 14 mm. [0087] Shape.Orbicular. [0088] Apex.Rounded. [0089] Base.Rounded. [0090] Margin.Smooth. [0091] Average diameter of the corolla (i.e. the petals collectively).32 mm. [0092] Average number of stamens.29. [0093] Calyx: [0094] Diameter.40-50 mm. [0095] Diameter of calyx relative to corolla.60% greater in diameter. [0096] Diameter of calyx relative to the fruit.0-10% greater in diameter. [0097] Insertion of calyx.Level to slightly inserted. [0098] Color.Medium green (L*=37.7, a*=14.4, b*=18.8). [0099] Sepals: [0100] Number per flower.14-15. [0101] Length.10-20 mm. [0102] Width.5-10 mm. [0103] Apex.Subacute to lobed. [0104] Margin.Smooth. [0105] Color, upper surface.Medium green (L*=42.73, a*=18.9, b*=25.72). [0106] Color, lower surface.Light green (L*=53.77, a*=15.59, b*=22.59). [0107] Pedicels: Attached to mature primary fruit and 10 cm to 14 cm in length and 1.5 to 2.0 mm in diameter depending on the time of the season. At peak production, the plant will have several crowns, each producing a truss. Each truss will have 5 to 8 pedicels. Inflorescences branch very close to the crown, rendering the peduncle rarely visible. [0108] Fruit: [0109] Average fruit weight.20.2 g to 20.7 g. [0110] Number per truss.5 to 8. [0111] Shape.Medium conical to cordate. [0112] Weight, primary fruit.25 g to 40 g. [0113] Weight, secondary and tertiary fruit.15 g to 25 g. [0114] Length, primary fruit.45 to 55 mm. [0115] Width, primary fruit.35 to 45 mm. [0116] Fruit flavor.Similar to Florida Radiance, which is the current commercial standard in Florida, see Table 2. [0117] Fruit soluble solids content (brix).8.5% in February 2016 at the University of Florida's Gulf Coast Research And Education Center. [0118] Fruit firmness.Higher than either Florida127 or Florida Radiance in sensory tests, see Table 2. [0119] Fruit cavity.Rare. [0120] Achenes.Sunken, which gives the fruit a glossy appearance, 120 to 300 per fruit. [0121] External fruit color.Glossy medium red (a*=34.7). [0122] Internal fruit color.Medium red (a*=22.7). [0123] Evenness of color.Consistently even. [0124] Flesh and skin firmness at full ripe stage.Very firm. [0125] Rain damage.More resistant to cracking of the fruit by rain than Florida127 and similar to Florida Radiance.. [0126] Early yield: Higher November yields than Florida127 in 2015-2016 and both Florida127 and Florida Radiance in 2016-2017, see Table 1. [0127] Preferred planting period: October 1.sup.th to October 15.sup.th in West Central Florida. [0128] Nursery performance: Florida Brilliance is expected to perform well in nursery situations due to the production of a moderate to high number of runners that result in sturdy, compact daughter plants. This is in contrast to Florida Radiance, whose daughter plants have weak petioles that are susceptible to breakage during digging and handling. [0129] Disease Resistance: Botrytis fruit rot (caused by Botrytis cinerea): Moderately susceptible. Powdery mildew (caused by Podosphaera aphanis): Resistant. Anthracnose fruit rot (caused by Colletotrichum acutatum): Highly resistant. Charcoal rot (caused by Macrophomina phaseolina): Highly resistant.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Performance of three strawberry genotypes during the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons in Balm, Florida. Marketable yield (g/plant) Cultivar November December January February March Total Wt/fruit(g).sup.z 2015-16 Florida Brilliance 70.0 aY 132.1 a 49.8 a 177.0 a 209.6 a 638.6 a 20.2 b Florida127 39.6 b 75.3 b 38.2 a 129.4 a 129.4 b 411.9 a 21.5 a 2016-17 Florida Brilliance 30.3 a 125.3 a 154.8 b 452.1 a 251.9 a 1014.4 a 20.7 b Florida127 14.1 b 115.2 a 211.9 a 428.7 a 197.1 b 967.0 ab 23.5 a Florida Radiance 6.3 b 102.3 a 157.2 b 413.9 a 174.1 b 853.8 b 18.8 c .sup.z Mean fruit weight was determined by dividing total marketable fruit yield per plot by total marketable fruit number per plot. .sup.y Means are based on four replications of 10 plants each in 2014-2015 and on five replications of 10 plants each in the other seasons. Means separation within columns is by Tukey's HSD test, P 0.05. Different letters within column and within season indicate comparisons that achieved statistical significance. Yield data for Florida Radiance was not available in 2015-2016.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Trained sensory panel ratings from five dates over two harvest seasons. Straw- Firm- Sweet- Sour- berry Green Cultivar ness ness ness flavor flavor February 2016 (n = 9) Florida Brilliance 6.7 a 4.8 a 5.2 a 3.3 a 2.3 a Florida127 4.7 b 5.2 a 4.8 a 4.1 a 2.1 a Florida Radiance 4.0 b 4.8 a 5.4 a 4.1 a 2.2 a March 2016 (n = 9) Florida Brilliance 7.1 a 2.7 b 4.9 b 1.7 b 3.6 ab Florida127 5.4 b 4.7 a 5.0 b 3.6 a 2.0 b Florida Radiance 5.9 b 2.8 b 6.9 a 2.0 b 4.0 a January 2017 (n = 12) Florida Brilliance 6.4 a 3.5 a 5.1 a 2.9 a 3.0 a Florida127 5.8 b 3.8 a 5.2 a 3.4 a 2.2 b Florida Radiance 5.3 b 3.6 a 4.8 a 3.1 a 2.0 b February 2017 (n = 10) Florida Brilliance 4.6 a 3.4 b 5.0 a 3.2 a 2.4 a Florida127 4.4 a 4.5 a 4.4 a 3.7 a 1.5 a Florida Radiance 3.9 a 2.8 b 4.8 a 2.4 a 1.9 a March 2017 (n = 10) Florida Brilliance 6.2 a 3.8 b 4.9 a 3.1 b 1.5 a Florida127 5.5 ab 5.2 a 4.2 a 4.5 a 1.1 a Florida Radiance 4.7 b 3.5 b 4.8 a 2.9 b 1.9 a Mean separations are within harvest dates and within columns by Fishers LSD test, P < 0.05. Different letters within harvest date and within column indicate comparisons that achieved statistical significance.