Sprouting Broccoli with One or More Improved Phenotypes

Abstract

Provided herein are sprouting broccoli plants, or Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plants, with one or more improved phenotypes such as floret development in a single horizontal plane allowing simultaneous harvest of all florets, a reduced cultivation period until harvest and/or not requiring exposure to a cold period below 15? C. during at least one to two weeks. Also provided herein are seeds, cells and plant parts, especially harvestable plant parts such as florets, of the present plants.

Claims

1. A Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant having a phenotype of floret development in a single horizontal plane allowing simultaneous harvest of all florets.

2. The Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant according to claim 1, wherein said phenotype of floret development in a single horizontal plane allowing simultaneous harvest of all florets is a dominant phenotype.

3. The Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant according to claim 1, said plant has a further phenotype of a reduced cultivation period until harvest.

4. The Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant according to claim 3, wherein said phenotype of a reduced cultivation period until harvest is a dominant phenotype.

5. The Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant according to claim 3, wherein said cultivation period until harvest is reduced by 30% to 50%.

6. The Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant according to claim 3, wherein said plant has a minimal cultivation period until harvest of 50 to 100 days, preferably 60 to 90 days, more preferably 65 to 75 days.

7. The Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant according to claim 1, wherein said plant has a further phenotype of not requiring exposure of said plant to a cold period below 15? C. for at least one to two weeks.

8. The Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant according to claim 7, wherein said phenotype of not requiring exposure of said plant to a cold period below 15? C. for at least one to two weeks is a dominant phenotype.

9. The Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant according to claim 1 having the phenotype of floret development in a single horizontal plane allowing simultaneous harvest of all florets and a phenotype of a reduced cultivation period until harvest and a phenotype of not requiring exposure of said plant to a cold period below 15? C. for at least one to two weeks.

10. The Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant according to claim 1, wherein said plant has one or more phenotypes that are substantially similar to one or more phenotypes of a Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant deposited under NCIMB 42459.

11. The Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant according to claim 1, wherein said plant has one or more phenotypes obtainable from a Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant deposited under NCIMB 42459.

12. The Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant according to claim 1, wherein said plant has one or more phenotypes that are derived from, or originate from a Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant deposited under NCIMB 42459.

13. The Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant according to claim 1, wherein said Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant is a hybrid.

14. The Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant according to claim 13, wherein said Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant is a sterile hybrid.

15. A Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant, wherein a sample of said plant is deposited under NCIMB 42459.

16. Seeds, cells or plant parts of the Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant according to claim 1.

17. A method for obtaining a Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant comprising introgressing into a Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant one or more phenotypes as defined in claim 1.

18. The Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides plant according to claim 14, wherein the plant is a cytoplasmic male sterile hybrid.

Description

[0042] The present invention will be further detailed in the following example and figures wherein:

[0043] FIG. 1: shows the appearance of conventional broccoli showing the dome shaped curd with florets of uneven length (photos 1a and 1b);

[0044] FIG. 2: shows classical sprouting broccoli. Several rounds of harvesting are necessary since development is asynchronous (photos 2a and 2b);

[0045] FIG. 3: shows an illustrative example of the present one cut sprouting broccoli with all florets in one plane (photos 3a and 3b);

[0046] FIG. 4: shows an illustrative example of the plants of photos 3a and 3b which are cut wherein just one cut yields a bunch of florets of similar length (photos 4a to 4d);

[0047] FIG. 5: shows the florets, cut in photos 4b to 4d, arranged to show their equal development (photos 5a to 5d).

EXAMPLE 1

[0048] In 2003 a cross was made between broccoli (22856) and sprouting broccoli (22101). The hybrid, designated F18065, was self-fertilized and assessed for glucosinolate levels; resulting in plant G12505. This generation was subsequently backcrossed with broccoli 22856, ten plants with purple spears were selected and this population was designated H12147.

[0049] Plants from this population were individually self-pollinated and, surprisingly, in this generation the present single cut phenotype was observed both with green and purple sprouts in addition to a strongly reduced growing period.

[0050] After prolonged selfing from these plants after 4 (purple) to 6 (green) generations genetically stable inbred lines were developed.

[0051] From the result of the crosses to develop the selected green resp. purple material it is concluded that inheritance of the described character is not recessive, the breeding program applied is schematically presented here:

TABLE-US-00001 Year Denomination Parent 1 Parent 2 2003 F18065 22856 22101 2004 G12505 F18065 inbreeding generation 20 plants selected 2005 H12147 G12505-11 22856 2006 J11352-1 H12147 inbreeding generation, green selection 2006 J11352-2 H12147 inbreeding generation, purple selection Green selection Purple selection Year Denomination From Year Denomination from 2007 K5390 J11352-1 2007 K5408 J11354-2 2008 L6666 K5390-5 2008 L6686 K5408-5 2009 N7706 L6666-3 2009 N7739 L6686-2 2010 P6982 N7706-2 2011 R7464 P6982-2 2012 S5716 R7464-1 S5716 = uniform parent line N7739 = uniform parent line

[0052] The developed parent lines are used to produce hybrids. Both a green sprouting broccoli and a purple sprouting broccoli with the single cut phenotype and a short growing season are available by crossing appropriate parent lines.

EXAMPLE 2: DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PURPLE AND GREEN SPROUTING BROCCOLI

[0053] A description of morphological characteristics of a plant according to the invention is presented below.

TABLE-US-00002 UPOV characteristic accordng to CPVO TP/15/12 Characteristic Purple variant Green variant 4.1 Method of maintenance Hybrid (1) Hybrid (1) 4.1 Method of reproduction Seed propagated (1) Seed propagated (1) 5.1 Plant: number of stems More than one (2) More than one (2) 5.2 Plant: height at maturity Tall (7) Tall (7) 5.6 Leaf: number of lobes Medium (5) Medium (5) 5.7 Leaf blade: colour Blue green (3) Blue green (3) 5.8 Leaf blade: intensity of colour Dark (7) Dark (7) 5.17 Head: shape in longitudinal Transverse broad elliptic (2) Transverse broad elliptic (2) section 5.18 Head: colour Violet (5) Blue green (4) 5.19 Head: intensity of colour Dark (7) Dark (7) 5.30 Time of harvest maturity (50% Early (3) Early (3) of plants) 5.32 Male sterility Present (9) Absent (1) 7.2.1 Type of cultivation Annual (1) Annual (1) 7.3 Other information This variety is a purple This variety is a green sprouting broccoli for harvest sprouting broccoli for harvest period 80 days after period 80 days after transplanting transplanting

Deposit Information

[0054] As example, a deposit of B. oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides 954634 is made under the Budapest Treaty at the NCIMB Ltd, Ferguson Building, Craibstone Estate, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9YA, UK as NCIMB 42459 on Sep. 29, 2015. This example is a green sprouting broccoli hybrid with the described single cut phenotype, a short growing season and a lack of necessity of vernalization.

Definitions

[0055] Curd or head: part of a cauliflower or broccoli plant composed of a multitude of inflorescence meristems or juvenile inflorescences. These are arranged in a kind of tree-like structure with an central stalk and several side branches. With cauliflower inflorescences are still meristems which will develop further in inflorescences and eventually form flowers; in broccoli the inflorescences are already developed further but buds are still closed. [0056] Floret: literally small flower but here part of the curd as complete inflorescence, in particular from broccoli [0057] Short growing season: a growing period between sowing and harvesting which is reduced from 115 days minimum to 70 days [0058] Single cut: a phenotype showing a growth habit of sprouting broccoli wherein all individual florets are of similar size and grow in one plane which enables a simultaneous of harvest all florets [0059] Sprout: see floret [0060] Sprouting broccoli: refers to Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. asparagoides and the sprouts or florets thereof. [0061] Vernalization: the (physiological) process by which a plant acquires the ability to flower by exposure to a prolonged cold period; either by winter or by artificial cold treatment.