Strawberry variety named ‘Brunswick’

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) named ‘Brunswick’ characterized by its large petals, large calyx, ovoid fruit, and resistance to powdery mildew. The invention is distinct from other varieties, but most similar to ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes a new and distinct cultivar ofFragaria ananassaknown by the varietal name ‘Brunswick’, originally designated as “K90-12”. The new variety resulted from a controlled cross in an ongoing breeding program between the strawberry plants ‘Cavendish’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,110) and ‘Honeoye’ (unpatented). ‘Cavendish’ was developed by the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre (a facility of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) in Kentville and ‘Honeoye’ was developed by the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva. ‘Brunswick’ was discovered in 1990 as a seedling in a controlled breeding plot near Sheffield Mills, Nova Scotia at the Sheffield Farm, a field-station of the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre, where it was selected and propagated asexually by stolons at the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre in Kentville. Asexual propagules from this original source have been produced annually in a greenhouse at the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre, Kentville, Canada. ‘Brunswick’ has been tested at the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre (starting in 1991) and also at research centres in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Buctouche, New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, and Pynn's Brook, Newfoundland, all of Canada. This propagation and testing has demonstrated that the combination of traits disclosed herein which characterize the new variety are fixed and retained true to type through successive generations of asexual reproduction via stolons.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following detailed botanical description of the new variety is based upon measurements and observations taken of plants and fruit grown in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada. Observations were taken from each variety as grown in a side-by-side field trial. Color designations, color descriptions, and other phenotypical descriptions may deviate from the stated values and description depending upon variation in the environment, seasonal, climatic and cultural conditions, however, it is believed that this description will apply to the ‘Brunswick’ plants grown in similar conditions of soil and climate elsewhere. Color references generally are made to R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (1966 edition). Descriptive information on the new variety is presented in Tables 1 and 2. In the tables, the flowers described are secondary flowers. The fruit described is the secondary fruit of the maiden crop, thirteen or fourteen months after planting. The harvest data in Table 3 is based on a complete harvest of the crop. Principal differences between ‘Brunswick’, the patented variety ‘Cavendish’ and the unpatented variety ‘Honeoye’ are set forth herein. Further, several differences between ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’ include:1. ‘Brunswick’ has more dense petiole pubescence;2. ‘Brunswick’ has a later beginning of the flowering period;3. ‘Brunswick’ produces more flowers per truss and has a longer flower truss;4. ‘Brunswick’ has broader fruit;5. ‘Brunswick's’ petals are longer than they are wide, whereas the petals of the reference varieties are as long as they are wide; and6. ‘Brunswick's’ inner calyx is smaller than the outer calyx, whereas the inner and outer calyces of the reference varieties have the same diameter.Classification: The new variety is botanically identified asFragaria ananassaand commercially classified as a short-day strawberry.Plant and foliage characteristics: When propagated in the nursery, ‘Brunswick’ produces moderate numbers of runner plants, similar to ‘Cavendish’ but less than ‘Honeoye’. Individual plants of all three varieties are medium in size. The plants of ‘Brunswick’ are of medium density with globose habit and strong vigor. ‘Brunswick’ rows are less dense and more open than rows of ‘Honeoye’, but more dense than ‘Cavendish’. As shown in Table 1, leaf color of ‘Brunswick’, ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’ are Green Group 137A on the upper surface. The color of the lower surface of ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Honeoye’ is Green Group 138B but Green Group 137C for ‘Cavendish’. Leaflets of ‘Brunswick’ are larger than ‘Cavendish’ and slightly larger than ‘Honeoye’ and leaves of all three varieties have three leaflets. Leaflets of ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Cavendish’ are cupped whereas ‘Honeoye’ leaflets are flat. Leaflets of ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Cavendish’ have higher numbers of serrations than ‘Honeoye’. Leaflet serrations of ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Honeoye’ are semi-round whereas serrations of ‘Cavendish’ are rounded. The venation of ‘Brunswick’ leaflets is pinnate. Petiole pubescence for ‘Brunswick’ tends to be higher in density than for ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’ but all three varieties have a perpendicular orientation of the pubescence.

TABLE 1Foliar Characteristics for ‘Brunswick’, ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’CultivarFoliar Character‘Brunswick’‘Cavendish’‘Honeoye’Leaf colorGreen GroupGreen GroupGreen GroupUpper surface137A137A137ALower surface138B137C138BCentral leafletLength (mm)Mean87.879.983.8Range80-10064-8965-97Width (mm)Mean77.074.670.3Range65-9555-9055-87Length/width ratio1.141.071.19No. leaflets/leaf333Leaf convexitycuppedcuppedflatSerrationsNumbermanymanymoderateSizemediummediumsmallShapesemi-roundroundedsemi-roundTip serration sizesmallsmallsmallLeaf pubescencemediummediummediumPetiole pubescenceDensitymedium to densemediummediumDirectionperpendicularperpendicularperpendicularFlower and fruit characteristics: The length of bloom for ‘Brunswick’ is about three weeks when grown in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada in a matted row cultural system. ‘Brunswick’ typically has 2 to 4 crowns when counted at bloom time of the first harvest season. Flowering for ‘Brunswick’ typically begins on June 2 and ends on June 21, which is about three days later than ‘Cavendish’ and four days later than ‘Honeoye’. As shown in Table 2, the flower truss of ‘Brunswick’ is longer than for ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’. ‘Brunswick’ flowers typically open slightly beneath the leaf canopy. ‘Brunswick’ flower trusses produce more flowers than trusses of ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’. Flowers of ‘Brunswick’ and the reference varieties are white. The anther color is Yellow-Orange Group 17A. Secondary flowers of ‘Brunswick’ are similar to ‘Honeoye’ in size but larger than ‘Cavendish’. Secondary flowers of ‘Brunswick’ typically have 5 or 6 petals while ‘Cavendish’ usually has 6 petals and ‘Honeoye’ has 5. The petals of ‘Brunswick’ are slightly longer than wide whereas petals of ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’ are as long as wide. The inner calyx of ‘Brunswick’ has a smaller diameter than the outer calyx while for ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’ the inner and outer calyces have a similar diameter. Trusses of ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Honeoye’ are typically semi-erect at first picking in contrast to ‘Cavendish’ which is prostrate. The position of the calyx is even with the top of the berry for ‘Brunswick’. The adherence of the calyx to the fruit is weak to medium for ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Honeoye’ but strong for ‘Cavendish’. The fruit of ‘Brunswick’ are slightly larger than for ‘Honeoye’ but smaller than ‘Cavendish’. The ratio of fruit length to width is 0.82 for ‘Brunswick’, 0.92 for ‘Cavendish’ and 0.97 for ‘Honeoye’. ‘Brunswick’ fruit are ovoid to short-conic in shape. Fruit of all three varieties are medium in firmness. For ‘Brunswick’, the hollow center size ranges from zero in small tertiary fruit, to 1-3 mm (diameter) in medium-sized tertiary fruit, to 3-6 mm in large primary fruit. As shown in Table 2, the exterior fruit color of ‘Brunswick’ is Red Group 46A and on the inside the pith and cortex are Red Group 45B, indicating very even interior color. The reference varieties have a very similar color to ‘Brunswick’. The achenes of ‘Brunswick’ are Green-Yellow Group 1A but darken to Orange-Red Group 34A on the shoulders of the fruit when exposed to sunlight.

TABLE 2Flower and Fruit Characteristics for‘Brunswick’, ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’CultivarCharacter‘Brunswick’‘Cavendish’‘Honeoye’Flower positionslightly beneathbeneathslightly beneath(relative to leafcanopy)Flower truss lengthmediumshort-mediumshort-medium(cm)24.220.421.8Number of flowers/8.16.46.7trussNumber of petals5.46.05.1Flower size31.127.030.1(mm diameter)Flower colorWhiteWhiteWhitePetal length (mm)12.210.612.0Petal width (mm)11.610.512.0Petal spacingspaced totouching tospaced totouchingoverlappingtouchingCalyx sizeInner calyx24.422.823.1(mm diam.)Outer calyx26.722.423.8(mm diam.)Calyx positioneveneven toeven toin a basinslightly aboveAdherence of the calyxweak tostrongweak tomediummediumFruit size and shapeLength (mm)28.131.829.9Width (mm)34.434.630.7Length/width ratio0.820.920.97Subjective fruit shapeovoid tocordateshort-conicshort-conicSeed positionslight-indentslight-indentslight indentFruit firmnessmediummediummediumColor(R.H.S. Colour Chart)CalyxGreen GroupGreen GroupGreen Group137C to 137D137C137CFruit exteriorRed GroupRed GroupRed Group46A46A46AFruit interiorRed GroupRed GroupRed GroupPith45B45B45BCortex45B45B45BDisease resistance: ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Cavendish’ are resistant to red stele root rot (Phytophthora fragariae) while ‘Honeoye’ is susceptible. ‘Brunswick’ plants are slightly more resistant to powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca macularis) than ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’, which are susceptible. ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Cavendish’ are susceptible to green petal phytoplasma while ‘Honeoye’ is resistant.Production characteristics: ‘Brunswick’ has produced high yields; generally similar to ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’, as shown in Table 3. The proportion of fruit considered marketable is similar between the three varieties. The fruit of ‘Brunswick’ are larger (by weight) than ‘Honeoye’ but smaller than ‘Cavendish’. The mean harvest date for ‘Brunswick’ is similar to ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’. All three varieties have a harvest season which is early-midseason.