Abstract:
`Seascape` is a day-neutral type strawberry variety similar to `Selva` but with a somewhat lower chilling requirement. It is noteworthy for high flavor, high yield, large fruit size, firmness, symmetry, attractive appearance and general flexibility in planting requirements.

Description:
DESCRIPTION 
     This invention relates to a new and distinctive day-neutral type strawberry cultivar designated as `Seascape` which is the result of a cross between `Selva` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,266)×`Douglas` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,487), made in 1983. 
     `Seascape` first fruited at the University of California Wolfskill Experimental Orchards near Davis, Calif. in 1984, where it was selected and designated originally as Cal 83.49-1. It was tested later as advanced selection CN 49. 
     `Seascape` has been propagated asexually by runners and has been tested at various University of California field stations and research facilities and to a very limited extent in a few growers&#39; fields under Test Agreement. 
    
    
     In the photographs: 
     FIG. 1 shows typical growth, flowering and fruiting characteristics of the plant. 
     FIG. 2 shows a typical midsummer mature leaf from a plant in full fruit. 
     FIG. 3 shows representative early-season fruit with longitudinal and cross-sectional views. 
    
    
     `Seascape` commences fruiting about three months after planting, whether fresh dug or cold storage plants are used, regardless of planting time, provided that satisfactory growing conditions prevail. `Seascape` is about as strongly day-neutral as `Selva` or `Muir` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,558), considerably less strong than `Irvine` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. pending), `Hecker` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,507) or `Fern` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,267). The difference is most evident in the nursery where only the mother and first daughter plants of `Seascape` and `Selva` and to a greater extent `Muir` tend to flower and fruit strongly, whereas most of the daughter plants of `Hecker` and `Fern` and to a somewhat lesser extent `Irvine` do so. Thus, ranking them in order of the tendency for plants to flower in the nursery, the order would be: `Hecker` `Fern`, `Irvine`, `Muir`, `Selva` and `Seascape`. All are heterozygous for the day-neutral trait. 
     `Seascape` is of particular interest for winter and summer plantings in situations where `Selva` is used successfully. 
     Plants and Foliage 
     Fruiting `Seascape` plants are about as erect in growth habit as those of `Selva`. Foliar characteristics from mid-summer 1988 central coast grown fruiting plants of `Seascape` are compared with those of `Irvine`, `Muir`, `Selva`, and `Fern` in Table 1. 
     
                       TABLE 1______________________________________Seascape     Irvine   Muir     Selva  Fern______________________________________Munsell 2.5GY43  7.5GY4/  2.5GY4/                            7.5GY4/                                   7.5GY4/Color            4        3      4      4Shape   1.19     1.10     1.02   1.10   1.14(length/width)Base angle   48°            53°                     60°                            55°                                   50°of terminalleafletSize of 76       76       84     81     76terminalleafletsSerrations   11.4     9.4      11.2   11.2   12.0of terminalleafletsPetiolule   13       6.6      6.6    10.4   6.4length(MM)Petiole 206      150      137    152    154length(MM)______________________________________ 
    
     As shown above `Seascape` leaves are about the same color as those of `Muir`, darker and less yellow than those of `Irvine` or `Selva` (Munsell Color System--Nickerson Color Fan). Terminal leaflets are somewhat similar in shape to those of `Irvine` but a little longer and less round than those of `Muir` as shown by the length/width measurement and half-blade terminal leaflet basal angle. `Seascape` terminal leaflets are about the same size as those of `Irvine`, smaller than those of `Muir` or `Selva` as determined by extracting the square root of the length×width measurement. Terminal leaflet serration numbers are about the same as those for all the comparison cultivars except `Irvine` which has less. The terminal leaflet petiolules of `Seascape` are much longer than those of `Muir` or `Irvine` and somewhat longer than those of `Selva`. `Seascape` plants are larger than those of `Selva`, `Muir` or `Irvine` as indicated by petiole length. Bract leaflets are common on `Seascape` petioles, similar to `Muir` and `Selva`, in contrast to being rare on `Irvine`. Runner production in nursery plants of `Seascape` is quite good, about equal or better than for `Selva` and `Muir`. 
     Lysozymes in Leaf Extracts 
     `Seascape` has been classified for three enzyme systems by starch gel electrophoresis: A. Phosphoglucoisomerase (PGl); B. Leucine Amino Peptidase (LAP); and C. Phosphoglucomutase (PGM); and the results are compared with those for other day-neutral California cultivars in Table 2. 
     
                       TABLE 2______________________________________  Seascape &amp; Fern                Irvine    Muir Selva______________________________________PGI    A4            A3        A2   H2LAP    B3            B1        B1   B3PGM    C2            C1        C2   C2______________________________________  Hecker   Aptos &amp; Brighton                          Mrak  Yolo______________________________________PGI    A1       A4             A1    A1LAP    B1       B3             B3    B1PGM    C4       C4             C2    C2______________________________________ 
    
     Thus, the `Seascape` with the pattern (A4, B3 and C2) is identical to that of `Fern` and short-day type `Parker` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,263) but can be distinguished from all other U.C. day-neutrals and short-day types. For the procedure, see: J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 106:687-1981. 
     Disease and Pest Reaction 
     `Seascape` is highly resistant to (tolerant of) the virus diseases common in California including &#34;Mild Yellow Edge&#34; and complexes containing it, moderately susceptible to common leaf spot (Ramularia), and is somewhat susceptible to the two-spotted mite. 
     Flowering, Fruiting, Fruit and Production Characteristics 
     `Seascape` is similar to California day-neutral cultivars `Selva` and `Muir` in that with a minimum of conditioning, it will flower and fruit anytime, effectively independent of day length. Flowers are borne on long, relatively thick peduncles, about as erect as those of `Selva`, less erect than those of `Muir` and much less than those of `Irvine`. The flowers have large petals averaging about six. The sepals are particularly large and attractive. `Seascape` is self-fertile providing ample pollen throughout the season and pollination is generally good as relatively few malformed fruit form. 
     `Seascape` is capable of yielding about as much or more than other high-yielding day-neutral and short-day type cultivars and the fruit size is as large or larger on the average than that of `Selva` (Tables 3, and 4). `Seascape` plants are vigorous and have a little less of a chilling requirement than those of `Selva` and can probably be planted earlier than `Selva` with favorable results. Size varies considerably on `Seascape` as the season advances or environmental conditions change but there is usually a high percentage of large fruit. 
     `Seascape` fruit shape is characteristically medium to occasionally long conic. The fruit of `Seascape` is very firm, almost equal to `Selva`, `Irvine` and `Oso Grande` as measured by the penetrometer equipped with a &#34;Hunter Force Gauge&#34; and it stores and ships about as well as `Selva` (Tables 3 and 4). The fruit is usually solid throughout. 
     `Seascape` fruit quality characteristics (ascorbic acid, soluble solids, titratable acid and color) are compared with those of `Chandler`, `Douglas`, `Irvine`, `Oso Grande`, and `Selva` in Table 5, from plants grown under optimum conditions under the &#34;hill&#34; system in winter plantings at the University of California Strawberry Research Facility, Watsonville. 
     
                       TABLE 3______________________________________Comparing the 1988 harvest of `Seascape` over eight winterplantings and the 1989 harvest over four with those of appropriatecultivars at Watsonville. Means with the same letter notsignificantly different (5%).    TOT.    YLD.     SIZE    FIRM   AP     PERF*ITEM     G/PL     G/FR    PENET  SCORE  SCORE______________________________________1988 HarvestSeascape 1381 a   24.6 a  7.6 a  3.8 a  38.1 aFern     1381 a   20.0 c  6.1 d  3.1 cd 31.4 cdIrvine   1309 a   21.6 b  7.8 a  3.2 c  33.1 bcSelva    1305 a   22.3 b  7.8 a  3.3 d  33.4 bcMuir     1090 bc  21.6 b  7.2 b  3.1 cd 29.9 deMrak     1081 bc  17.6 d  6.5 c  3.0 d  29.9 eYolo      938 c   19.3 e  7.1 b  3.0 d  27.2 e1989 HarvestSeascape 1951 a   26.3 a  6.1 bc 3.9 a  40.4 bOso Grande    1788 ab  26.9 a  6.6 a  3.1 c  38.4 bcIrvine   1710 ab  21.8 ab 6.5 abc                            2.9 de 35.4 cdSelva    1528 b   22.6 b  6.6 ab 3.1 cd 34.3 dMuir     1523 b   22.1 b  6.0 c  2.9 e  33.2 dChandler 1491 b   25.6 a  5.3 d  3.4 b  34.2 d______________________________________ Performance Score =- ##STR1## 
    
     
                       TABLE 4______________________________________Comparing the 1987 harvest of `Seascape` with that of 3 standardshort-day type cultivars and 3 day-neutral cultivars in a summerplanting made at Watsonville 3 Sept. 86.______________________________________   GPL BY 6 WKS ENDING                     TOT YLDCULTIVAR  5/6     6/17    7/29  9/16  G/PL______________________________________Chandler  436     917     576   297   2227Oso Grande     500     638     241   177   1559Pajaro    423     621     300   202   1548Seascape  655     625     590   291   2133Muir      359     596     332   232   1521Selva     417     522     266   219   1425Yolo      451     311     166   105   1034______________________________________    TOT.    YLD     SIZE     FIRM.  AP.    PERF.*CULTIVAR S.D.    G/FR     PENET  SCORE  SCORE______________________________________Chandler 255     16.5     4.7    3.1    37Oso Grande    49      20.5     6.3    2.9    32Pajaro   85      19.8     5.2    3.1    32Seascape  7      19.1     5.1    3.5    38Muir     36      22.3     5.4    3.1    33Selva    287     22.1     6.0    3.1    32Yolo     17      19.2     4.9    3.5    26______________________________________ *Performance Score =- ##STR2## 
    
     
                       TABLE 5______________________________________Fruit quality measurement and color, Watsonville 8 May 1989.Means with same letter not significantly different (5%)    ASCORBIC   SOL       TIT.    ACID       SOLIDS    ACIDCULTIVAR mg/100 g   %         %      COLOR______________________________________Chandler 51 a       7.3 a     0.69 b 5R4/12Seascape 46 b       7.0 ab    0.74 b 2.5R4/10Douglas  43 bc      6.8 b     0.72 b 6R4/12Irvine   41 cd      6.9 ab    0.66 bc                                7R5/14Oso Grande    40 cd      5.7 c     0.52 d 7.5R4.5/11Selva    33 e       7.1 ab    0.59 cd                                7R4/11______________________________________ 
    
     `Seascape` fruit averaged almost as high in ascorbic acid content as `Chandler`, as high as `Douglas` and higher than `Irvine`, `Oso Grande` and `Selva` as measured by the Loeffler and Ponting method (1942, J. Indust. and Engin. Chem. 14:846). The fruit of `Seascape` is relatively high in soluble solids and titratable acid (ibid). The fruit skin color is redder than that of all of the comparison cultivars inside and out. The finish is bright and attractive. The flesh color is about the same as that of the skin. The achenes are bright yellow to slightly reddish, positioned about flush to slightly exerted relative to the skin surface (ibid). 
     The flavor of `Seascape` fruit is exceptional, better than that of `Selva` or `Irvine`. The fruit is recommended for fresh market and processing, for commercial planting and home gardening, particularly where `off season` fruiting is desirable. The only cultivars that `Seascape` resembles closely in performance are `Selva` and `Muir` and consequently it is of interest wherever they are currently grown.