Patent Publication Number: US-PP17774-P3

Title: Kiwi plant named ‘Hort51-1785’

Description:
Genus and species of plant claimed:  Actinidia chinensis.    
   Variety denomination: Hort51-1785. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Kiwi plants in cultivation are mainly varieties of  A. deliciosa,  particularly ‘Hayward’ although some  A. chinensis  and  A. arguta  varieties are grown.  A. deliciosa  and  A. chinensis  are closely related and varieties of both types have large fruit (˜100 g) with hair on the skin. The main varieties in New Zealand are ‘Hayward’ ( A. deliciosa ) and ‘Hort16A’ ( A. chinensis ). Fruit are usually cut and eaten with a spoon. 
   All  Actinidia  species are dioecious, so female varieties have to be interplanted with male pollinizers to ensure fruit production. 
     A. chinensis  vines are deciduous and tend to grow vigorously in spring and summer when rapidly-growing shoots can intertwine and tangle if not managed. Vines do best in a mild warm-temperate climate without late spring or early autumn frosts. They produce consistently heavy crops when grown in well-drained fertile soils and given regular irrigation in dry spells. 
     A. chinensis  flowers in spring (mid October-early December) in New Zealand. Harvest of  A. chinensis  fruit may occur between April and late-May in New Zealand depending on the selection and location of plantings. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a new and distinctive kiwifruit variety having a generally globose shaped fruit with short, soft, silky hair and a golden yellow flesh when ripe. This new variety is designated ‘Hort51-1785’ and is derived from a controlled pollination using a female tetraploid  A. chinensis  selection ‘Jing Feng’ (also known as 79-3, and by the accession code CK34 — 01) of unknown parentage, and a male tetraploid  A. chinensis  selection CK40 — 02 of unknown parentage. 
   The female parent was introduced to New Zealand as vegetative plant material from Jiangxi, China. The male parent was selected in New Zealand from seedling plants raised from an introduction of seed from China in 1989. Both parents are unpatented. 
   This new variety was created during the course of a planned plant-breeding program, which was initiated during 1987 in Auckland, New Zealand. The cross was made on Nov. 24, 1994 in Te Puke, New Zealand. Seeds were sown in the winter of 1995 and 64 seedlings from this cross were planted out in the field at Te Puke in August 1996. The selection ‘Hort51-1785’ first flowered in November 1997 and fruit was first assessed in May 1998. Selection ‘Hort51-1785’ was grafted in 1998 onto four existing kiwifruit rootstocks in a clonal selection trial plot using graftwood from the original seedling plant. 
   The new variety can be asexually reproduced as cuttings or by grafting or budding on to seedling or cutting-grown rootstocks of  A. deliciosa  or  A. chinensis.  Trial plantings of grafted plants established at the Te Puke, Nelson and Kerikeri Research Centres in 1998 have shown that the unique combination of characters come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding asexual propagations. 
   ‘Hort51-1785’ flowers at least two weeks later than Hort16A and requires specific tetraploid males to ensure adequate pollination. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows typical fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’ on the vine. 
       FIG. 2  shows typical fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’ in side profile. 
       FIG. 3  shows a stem end view of fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’. 
       FIG. 4  shows a stylar end view of fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’. 
       FIG. 5  shows fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’ in cross section. 
       FIG. 6  shows flowers of ‘Hort51-1785’. 
       FIG. 7  shows the leaf of ‘Hort51-1785’. 
     Photographs of fruit were taken at the normal harvest date. Fruit skin color may vary depending upon extent of exposure to direct sunlight. 
   

   DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION 
   The new tetraploid kiwifruit variety ‘Hort51-1785’ is pistillate (female), and produces imperfect flowers, i.e. the flowers produce only sterile pollen and require a pollinizer to set fruit. 
   TABLE OF CHARACTERISTICS 
   Horticultural terminology is used in accordance with revised UPOV guidelines for kiwi. All dimensions are in millimeters, weights in grams (unless otherwise stated). Color references are in accord with the R.H.S. Colour Chart, the Royal Horticultural Society, London, 1966. 
   
     
       
         
             
             
           
             
                 
                 
             
             
                 
               ‘Hort51-1785’ 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
          
             
                 
             
          
         
         
             
             
          
             
               PLANT 
                 
             
             
               (Measurements from samples of 
             
             
               10, unless stated) 
             
             
               Plant: sex expression 
               female (flowers imperfect) 
             
             
               Plant: ploidy 
               tetraploid (2n = 2x = 116) 
             
             
               Plant: vigour 
               medium 
             
             
               Young shoot: hairs 
               present 
             
             
               Young shoot: density of hairs 
               medium 
             
             
               Young shoot: type of hairs 
               tomentose 
             
             
               Young shoot: anthocyanin color- 
               absent or very weak 
             
             
               ation of growing tip 
             
             
               Young shoot: anthocyanin color- 
               absent or very weak 
             
             
               ation of leaf axil 
             
             
               STEM 
             
             
               Stem: coloration of leaf axil 
               absent or very weak 
             
             
               Stem: diameter 
               medium (mean 9.5 mm, range 
             
             
                 
               7.6-10.5 mm at mid point 1 ) 
             
             
               Stem: length 
               1.2-1.8 m 
             
             
               Stem: dormant bud diameter 
               large (mean 6.3 mm, range 5.00- 
             
             
                 
               7.16 mm) 
             
             
               Stem: color on upper side of shoot 
               greyish-brown (near 177A to 
             
             
                 
               199A) 
             
             
               Stem: character of bark 
               smooth 
             
             
               Stem: hairs 
               absent 
             
             
               Stem: conspicuousness of lenticels 
               conspicuous 
             
             
               Stem: number of lenticels/cm 2   
               mean 3.32/cm 2  (range 
             
             
               bark area 
               1.8-5.02/cm 2 ) 
             
             
               Stem: color of lenticels 
               brown, near 166C 
             
             
               Stem: size of lenticels - length 
               mean 3.27 mm, range 1.54-4.53 
             
             
                 
               mm 
             
             
               Stem: size of lenticels - maximum 
               mean 1.34 mm, range 0.82-2.03 
             
             
               width 
               mm 
             
             
               Stem: size of bud support 
               medium 
             
             
               Stem: visibility of bud (dormant 
               visible 
             
             
               canes) 
             
             
               Stem: number of hairs visible on 
               many 
             
             
               bud (dormant canes) 
             
             
               LEAF (Mature) 
             
             
               Leaf: general shape of blade 
               very broadly ovate 
             
             
               Leaf: length 
               124 mm 
             
             
               Leaf: width 
               151 mm 
             
             
               Leaf: petiole length 
               103 mm 
             
             
               Leaf: shape of tip of blade 
               acute 
             
             
               Leaf: shape of base of blade 
               cordate 
             
             
               Leaf: arrangement of leaf bases 
               overlapping 
             
             
               Leaf: puckering/blistering on upper 
               medium 
             
             
               side of blade 
             
             
               Leaf: margin 
               ciliate 
             
             
               Leaf: green color of upper side of 
               medium green, near 147A 
             
             
               blade 
             
             
               Leaf: glossiness of upper surface of 
               medium 
             
             
               blade 
             
             
               Leaf: color of lower side of blade 
               light green, near 148B 
             
             
               Leaf: glaucosity (lower side of 
               absent 
             
             
               blade) 
             
             
               Leaf: hairs on petiole 
               present 
             
             
               Leaf: density of hairs on petiole 
               medium 
             
             
               Leaf: anthocyanin coloration on 
               medium 
             
             
               upper side of petiole 
             
             
               FLOWER 
             
             
               Inflorescence: predominant number 
               three 
             
             
               of flowers 
             
             
               Flower: pedicel hairs: 
               present 
             
             
               Flower: pedicel length of hairs 
               very short 
             
             
               Flower: pedicel length 
               mean 27.09 mm 
             
             
               Flower: number of sepals 
               six or seven 
             
             
               Flower: color of sepals 
               green, near 148D 
             
             
               Flower: length of sepals 
               mean 11.45 mm, range 8.86- 
             
             
                 
               12.37 mm 
             
             
               Flower: diameter of sepals 
               mean 9.09 mm, range 8.32-9.67 
             
             
               Flower: diameter (terminal or king 
               51 mm (mean of 7 flowers) 
             
             
               flower when fully open) 
             
             
               Flower: mean number of petals per 
               6 
             
             
               flower 
             
             
               Flower: length of petals 
               mean 28.77 mm, range 27.0-31.6 
             
             
                 
               mm 
             
             
               Flower: width of petals 
               mean 23.89 mm, range 22.4-26.0 
             
             
               Flower: ratio petal length/width 
               1.21 
             
             
               Flower: arrangement of petals 
               overlapping 
             
             
               Flower: petal shoulder 
               present 
             
             
               Flower: primary color of petals 
               white, near 155B 
             
             
               (when fully open) 
             
             
               Flower: type of coloration of petals 
               bi-coloured, green at base 
             
             
               Flower: secondary color of base 
               green, near 144D 
             
             
               of petals 
             
             
               Flower: filament color 
               white, near 157A 
             
             
               Flower: anther color 
               yellow, near 16C 
             
             
               Flower: attitude of styles 
               semi-erect 
             
             
               Flower: curvature of styles 
               absent 
             
             
               Flower: color of styles 
               white, near 155D 
             
             
               Flower: amount of hair on ovary 
               dense 
             
             
               Flower: colour of ovary 
               white near 157B 
             
             
               FRUIT 
             
             
               Fruit: weight 
               mean 99 g 
             
             
               Fruit: length 
               66 mm 
             
             
               Fruit: width (max) 
               61 mm 
             
             
               Fruit: width (min) 
               58 mm 
             
             
               Fruit: core diameter (max) 
               12.4 mm 
             
             
               Fruit: core diameter (min) 
               7.8 mm 
             
             
               Fruit: locule number 
               30 
             
             
               Fruit: peduncle length 
               35 mm 
             
             
               Fruit: peduncle width 
               3.9 mm 
             
             
               Fruit: general shape 
               globose 
             
             
               Fruit: cross section at median 
               circular 
             
             
               Fruit: general shape of stylar end 
               flat 
             
             
               Fruit: shape of shoulder on stalk 
               squared 
             
             
               end 
             
             
               Fruit: presence of calyx ring 
               present 
             
             
               Fruit: expression of calyx ring 
               strongly expressed 
             
             
               Fruit: skin color at harvest (fruit 
               medium brown, near 199B 
             
             
               still hard) 
             
             
               Fruit: skin colour change during 
               absent 
             
             
               ripening 
             
             
               Fruit: skin color at maturity for 
               medium brown, near 199B 
             
             
               consumption 
             
             
               Fruit: lenticel color at maturity 
               near 164C 
             
             
               Fruit: hairs 
               present 
             
             
               Fruit: density of hairs 
               sparse 
             
             
               Fruit: type of hairs 
               pubescent 
             
             
               Fruit: hair length 
               short 
             
             
               Fruit: concentration of hairs 
               uniform 
             
             
               Fruit: adherence of hairs to skin 
               weak 
             
             
               (when rubbed) 
             
             
               Fruit: core diameter (at largest dia- 
               small (approximately 12.4 mm) 
             
             
               meter) 
             
             
               Fruit: core shape (in cross section) 
               transverse elliptic 
             
             
               Fruit: core woody spike 
               weak 
             
             
               Fruit: prominence of core woody 
               small 
             
             
               spike 
             
             
               Fruit: outer pericarp color at 
               yellow, near 162D 
             
             
               maturity for consumption 
             
             
               Fruit: inner pericarp col. (locules) 
               yellow, near 162B 
             
             
               at mat. for consumption 
             
             
               Fruit: core color at maturity 
               pale yellow, near 14D 
             
             
               Fruit: sweetness (Brix level) at 
               13.8% (range 11.4-16.2%) 
             
             
               maturity for consumption 
             
             
               Fruit: vitamin C content (45 fruit 
               133 mg/100 g fresh weight 
             
             
               sample) 
               (range 123-140 mg/100 g fresh 
             
             
                 
               weight) mean of 5 plants, 3 
             
             
                 
               values, per plant. 
             
             
               Fruit: seed colour at maturity (in 
               blackish-brown, near 200A 
             
             
               flesh) 
             
             
               Fruit: seed colour when dry 
               dark brown, near 200C 
             
             
               Fruit: average seed number per 
               mean 514, range 465-596 
             
             
               fruit 
             
             
               Fruit: seed length 
               mean 2.45 mm 
             
             
               Fruit: seed maximum diameter 
               mean 1.71 mm 
             
             
               EVENTS 
             
             
               Time of vegetative budbreak 
               medium (mid September) 
             
             
               Time of beginning of flowering 
               8 Nov. (2004) 
             
             
               Time of maturity for harvest (at 
               last week of May (Brix 10%) under 
             
             
               nominated Brix level) 
               New Zealand growing conditions 
             
             
                 
             
             
                 1 Measured in the middle of the cane i.e. halfway down the full length and midway between two buds.  
             
          
         
       
     
   
   Observations were made on plants growing at Te Puke, New Zealand. These plants had been grafted on to seedling kiwifruit rootstocks.
     Rootstocks: ‘Hort51-1785’ vines can be grown on the same rootstocks as ‘Hort16A’. Rootstocks currently being used in New Zealand include  A. deliciosa  and  A. chinensis  seedlings, ‘Hayward’ (not patented) and ‘Kaimai’ (not patented) rooted cuttings.   Cropping: Young vines of ‘Hort51-1785’ crop heavily when young, and must be thinned directly after fruit set to reduce crop loads and to ensure fruit size is not compromised by over cropping. Vines of ‘Hort51-1785’ begin to bear fruit in their second year from graft and can be expected to reach full capacity at about 5 years.   Storage life: The storage life of ‘Hort51-1785’ fruit is 20 weeks at 0° C., if stored in unventilated containers.   Pest and disease resistance/susceptibility: Unsprayed fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’ is slightly more susceptible to Greedy Scale infestation, but less damaged by Leaf Roller caterpillar compared to ‘Hayward’. Flowers of ‘Hort51-1785’ are more susceptible to fungal  Sclerotinia  infection during wet weather, possibly due to the higher flower density (three flowers per inflorescence) compared to ‘Hayward’ (single flowers).   

   OTHER DATA 
   
       
       Fruit size: Date gathered from harvesting all fruit, from 6 vines, in May 2004. 
     
  
   
     
       
         
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
           
             
                 
             
           
          
             
               Mean fruit 
               99.2 
               g 
               maximum: 
               138 
               g 
               minimum: 
               73 
               g 
             
             
               weight: 
             
             
               Mean fruit 
               332 
                 
               maximum: 
               1084 
                 
               minimum: 
               102 
             
             
               number: 
             
             
               Mean yield: 
               38.8 
               kg 
               maximum: 
               14.1 
               kg 
               minimum: 
               81.4 
               kg 
             
             
                 
             
          
         
       
     
   
   FRUIT FLESH AND SKIN COLOR MEASUREMENT 
   Color chart: R.H.S. Colour Chart, The Royal Horticultural Society, London, 1966. 
   
     
       
         
             
             
           
             
                 
             
           
          
             
               Fruit: core color at harvest 
               150C to 150D 
             
             
               Fruit: seed color (in flesh) 
               200A 
             
             
               Fruit: seed colour (dry seed) 
               200C 
             
             
               Fruit: skin color at maturity 
               199B 
             
             
               Leaf: color of upper side (in mature leaf after petal fall) 
               147A 
             
             
               Leaf: color of lower side (in mature leaf after petal fall) 
               148B 
             
             
               Plant stem: color on exposed side 
               177A to 199A 
             
             
                 
             
          
         
       
     
   
   COMPARISON TO CLOSEST CULTIVAR 
   The distinctive characteristics of this new kiwifruit variety, described in detail below, were observed in 2005 at Te Puke, New Zealand. The age of the plants was 6 years from grafting onto seedling rootstocks. 
   Comparison with similar varieties ‘Hort16A’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,066) and ‘KI 89’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,497) shows that ‘Hort51-1785’ may be distinguished as follows in Table 1. 
   
     
       
         
             
           
             
               TABLE 1 
             
           
          
             
                 
             
             
               Comparison with similar varieties 
             
             
               Color references are in accord with the RHS Colour Chart, the Royal Hort- 
             
             
               icultural Society, London, 1966. Observations made under New Zealand 
             
             
               growing conditions. 
             
          
         
         
             
             
             
             
          
             
               Character- 
                 
                 
                 
             
             
               istic 
               ‘Hort51-1785’ 
               ‘Hort16A’ 
               ‘KI 89’ 
             
             
                 
             
             
               Time of full 
               late November 
               mid October 
               early November 
             
             
               bloom 
             
             
               Fruit: Color 
               mid-brown, near 
               yellow-brown, 
               reddish-brown, near 
             
             
               of skin 
               199B 
               near 
               164B/164C 
             
             
                 
                 
               199A/161A 
             
             
               Fruit: mean 
               99 g 
               91 g 
               103.4 
             
             
               weight 
             
             
               Fruit: Core 
               very small 
               small 
               medium 
             
             
               diameter 
               (approximately 12.4 
               (approximately 
               (approximately 15.3 
             
             
               (maximum) 
               mm) 
               13.08 mm) 
               mm) 
             
             
               Fruit: 
               globose 
               ovoid 
               cylindrical 
             
             
               General 
             
             
               shape 
             
             
               Fruit: shape 
               rounded 
               protruding 
               slightly depressed 
             
             
               at stylar end 
             
             
               Fruit: pres- 
               present 
               not present 
               not present 
             
             
               ence of 
             
             
               internal 
             
             
               stylar 
             
             
               cavity 
             
             
               Fruit: Flesh 
               golden yellow, near 
               yellow, near 
               yellow-green, near 
             
             
               color (ripe) 
               162D 
               12C/12B 
               145C/154D 
             
             
               Fruit: Pres- 
               present 
               not present 
               not present 
             
             
               ence of 
             
             
               lenticels on 
             
             
               skin 
             
             
               Fruit: Visi- 
               conspicuous 
               not obvious 
               not obvious 
             
             
               bility of 
             
             
               lenticels on 
             
             
               skin 
             
             
               Fruit: Mean 
               12.5-14% 
               14-19% 
               10.8-12.4% 
             
             
               soluble sol- 
             
             
               ids content 
             
             
               when ripe 
             
             
               Mean dry 
               17.8% 
               18.3% 
               15.5-17.2% 
             
             
               matter at 
             
             
               harvest 
             
             
               Mean flesh 
               6.8 Kgf 
               4.6 Kgf 
               3.7 Kgf 
             
             
               firmness at 
             
             
               harvest 
             
             
                 
             
          
         
       
     
   
   Fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’ is globose in shape with a rounded stylar end compared with the ovoid shape and protruding stylar beak of ‘Hort16A’. The flesh of ‘Hort51-1785’ is golden yellow when ripe compared to the lighter yellow flesh of ‘Hort16A’ and the yellow-green flesh of ‘KI 89’. The skin of ‘Hort51-1785’ is a pale mid-brown color, whereas the skin of ‘Hort16A’ is yellow-brown and that of ‘KI 89’ is reddish-brown. The fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’ has conspicuous, raised lenticels on the skin, ‘Hort16A’ and ‘KI 89’ do not have raised lenticels. 
   The fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’ is generally larger sized, has lower brix, lower dry matter content, and higher flesh firmness at harvest than ‘Hort16A’. The fruit of ‘Hort51-1785’ is generally shorter but of greater diameter than fruit of either ‘Hort16A’ or ‘KI 89’. 
   
     
       
         
             
           
             
               TABLE 2 
             
           
          
             
                 
             
             
               Comparison with female parent, ‘Jing Feng’ 
             
             
               Colour references are in accord with the RHS Colour Chart, the Royal 
             
             
               Horticultural Society, London, 1966. Observations made under New 
             
             
               Zealand growing conditions. 
             
          
         
         
             
             
             
          
             
               Characteristic 
               ‘Hort51-1785’ 
               ‘Jing Feng’ 
             
             
                 
             
             
               Time of full bloom 
               late November 
               late November 
             
             
               Fruit: color of skin 
               mid-brown, near 199B 
               light brown, near 
             
             
                 
                 
               165B 
             
             
               Fruit: core diameter 
               12.4 mm 
               14.1 mm 
             
             
               Fruit: general shape 
               globose 
               ellipsoidal 
             
             
               Fruit: ratio of fruit 
               0.92 
               0.78 
             
             
               maximum width/fruit 
             
             
               length 
             
             
               Fruit: mean weight 
               99 g 
               103 g 
             
             
               Fruit: shape at stylar 
               rounded 
               flat 
             
             
               end 
             
             
               Fruit: presence of 
               present 
               not present 
             
             
               stylar cavity 
             
             
               Fruit: flesh color 
               golden yellow near 162D 
               golden yellow, near 
             
             
                 
                 
               163D 
             
             
               Fruit: locule color 
               near 162B 
               near 164B 
             
             
               Presence of lenticels 
               present 
               not present 
             
             
               on fruit skin 
             
             
               Visibility of lenticels on 
               conspicuous 
               not obvious 
             
             
               fruit skin 
             
             
               Mean soluble solids 
               12.5-14% 
               11.6-14.6% 
             
             
               content of ripe fruit 
             
             
               Mean dry matter at 
               17.8% 
               16.6% 
             
             
               harvest 
             
             
               Mean firmness at 
               6.8 Kgf 
               5.5 Kgf 
             
             
               harvest 
             
             
                 
             
          
         
       
     
   
   The most striking difference between ‘Hort51-1785’ and the female parent ‘Jing Feng’ is that of fruit shape. ‘Hort51-1785’ has globose-shaped fruit with a ratio of maximum width/fruit length of 0.92 whereas ‘Jing Feng’ fruit is ellipsoidal in shape with a ratio of maximum width/fruit length of 0.78. ‘Hort51-1785’ fruit have a small internal cavity, average length 10.2 mm, at the stylar end, whereas ‘Jing Feng’ fruit has no cavity.