Patent Publication Number: US-PP20250-P3

Title: Kiwi plant named ‘Skelton A16’

Description:
Latin name:  Actinidia chinensis.    
   Varietal denomination: Skelton A16. 
   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   Genus and species of plant claimed:  Actinidia chinensis.    
   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 (about 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 late September to late October in New Zealand. Harvest of  A. chinensis  fruit occurs from late February to late June 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 slightly depressed, sunken end to slightly blunt protruding stylar end fruit shape with a harvest date of early April. This new variety is designated ‘Skelton A16’ and is derived from seed resulting from controlled pollination of the  Actinidia chinensis  varieties ALC13 (male) and A124 (female). 
   Neither of the parents are registered with the Plant Variety Rights Office in New Zealand or patented. The parent plants are part of an ongoing breeding program established in New Zealand in 1975. 
   This new variety was created during the course of a planned plant-breeding program, which was initiated in Waiuku, New Zealand in 1994 and approximately 300 seedlings were raised at Rangiriri, New Zealand. ‘Skelton A16’ first flowered in October 1998 and fruit were assessed in April 1999. Following fruit assessment, ‘Skelton A16’ was grafted onto six  Actinidia deliciosa  seedling rootstocks and onto six  Actinidia chinensis  rootstocks. The unique characteristics of ‘Skelton A16’ continued and the asexually reproduced plants were true to type. 
   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,  or by striking cuttings, or by tissue culture. Trial plantings of grafted plants established in Rangiriri, New Zealand in 1999 have shown that the unique combination of characters come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding asexual propagations. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows typical fruit of the new variety in the studio; 
       FIG. 2  shows a close up of the fruit and foliage on the vine; 
       FIG. 3  shows typical fruit of the new variety in the orchard; 
       FIG. 4  shows typical fruit of the new variety in cross-section; 
       FIG. 5  shows typical fruit of the parent female A124 species in the studio and in cross-section; 
       FIG. 6  shows typical fruit of the new variety in the studio compared with other varieties, in order: ‘A1;’ ‘Skelton A19;’ ‘Skelton A16;’ and ‘Skelton X78;’ and 
       FIG. 7  shows typical fruit of the new variety in the studio compared with other varieties in cross-section, in order: ‘A1;’ ‘Skelton A16;’ ‘Skelton A19;’ and ‘Skelton X78.’ 
   

   COMPARISON TO CLOSEST VARIETY 
   The distinctive characteristics of ‘Skelton A16’ were first observed with the first fruit maturing in April 1999. The distinctive characteristics of this new Kiwi variety, described in detail below and shown in the accompanying photographs, were observed in April 2006 at Rangiriri, New Zealand. The age of the plants was approximately seven years from grafting onto seedling rootstocks. 
   Comparison with the similar variety ‘HORT16A’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,066) shows that ‘Skelton A16’ may be distinguished as follows in Table 1: 
   
     
       
         
             
           
             
               TABLE 1 
             
           
          
             
                 
             
             
               Comparison With Similar Variety. 
             
             
               Observations made under New Zealand Growing Conditions 
             
          
         
         
             
             
             
          
             
               Characteristic 
               HORT16A 
               A16 
             
             
                 
             
             
               FRUIT 
                 
                 
             
             
               Harvest Date 
               Early May 
               Early April 
             
             
               Color of Ripe Pericarp 
               Medium yellow 
               Dark yellow (2B) 
             
             
                 
               (12C/12B) 
             
             
               Skin Color 
               Yellow-brown 199B 
               Grey/brown 199C 
             
             
               Mean Fresh Weight 
               43-176 grams 
               80-95 grams 
             
             
               Mean Dry Matter at 
               18% 
               15.0-19.0% 
             
             
               Harvest 
             
             
               Average Length 
               79.1 mm 
               60.0 mm 
             
             
               Average Width 
               51.1 mm 
               48.0 mm 
             
             
               Core Diameter 
               12.4 mm 
               14.0 mm 
             
             
               Width/Length Ratio 
               0.65 
               0.80 
             
             
               Sweetness (Brix) at 
               15.6% 
               17.5% 
             
             
               maturity for 
             
             
               consumption 
             
             
               General Shape 
               Ovoid 
               Ovoid 
             
             
               Cross sectional shape 
               Circular 
               Circular 
             
             
               Shape at Stylar End 
               Strongly blunt 
               Slightly depressed to 
             
             
                 
               protruding 
               slightly blunt protruding 
             
             
               Skin: Hairiness 
               Present 
               Low/downy 
             
             
               VINE 
             
             
               Shoots: 
             
             
               Color 
               144B 
               145C 
             
             
               Texture 
               Smooth 
               Smooth 
             
             
               Stem: 
             
             
               Colour-upper 
               177A 
               165A 
             
             
               Colour-lower 
               199A 
               199C 
             
             
               Mean diameter 
               9.5 mm 
               8.9 mm 
             
             
               Texture 
               Smooth 
               Smooth 
             
             
               Lenticel (if present) 
               Present 
               Medium, raised &amp; rough 
             
             
               LEAF: 
             
             
               Colour-upper 
               147A 
               138B 
             
             
               Colour-lower 
               148B 
               138D 
             
             
               Shape 
               Orbiculate 
               Broadly ovate 
             
             
               Length 
               124 mm 
               191.5 mm 
             
             
               Width 
               151 mm 
               160.1 mm 
             
             
               Apex 
               Acute 
               Obtuse 
             
             
               Base 
               Cordate 
               Rounded 
             
             
               Margin 
               Ciliate 
               Ciliate 
             
             
               Texture 
               Glabrous 
               Glabrous 
             
             
               FLOWER 
             
             
               Inflorescence: 
             
             
               Predominant number 
               3 
               3 
             
             
               of flowers 
             
             
               Petiole: 
             
             
               Length 
               103 mm 
               60.0 to 110 mm 
             
             
               Colour 
               145B 
               145C 
             
             
               Pedicel: 
             
             
               Length 
               27.1 mm 
               43 mm 
             
             
               Colour 
               151A 
               199B 
             
             
               Hairs 
               Present 
               Present 
             
             
               Length of hairs 
               Very short 
               Very short 
             
             
               Flower: 
             
             
               Coloration of petals 
               Bi-coloured 
               Bi-coloured 
             
             
               Primary Colour 
               White 155B 
               White 155D 
             
             
               Secondary colour base 
               Green 144D 
               Green 145B 
             
             
               of petal 
             
             
               Diameter 
               51 mm 
               50.1 mm 
             
             
               Arrangement of Petals 
               Overlapping 
               Overlapping 
             
             
               Mean number of 
               6 
               7-9 
             
             
               petals/flower 
             
             
               Mean length of petals 
               28.8 mm 
               23.5 mm 
             
             
               Mean width of petals 
               23.9 mm 
               18.5 mm 
             
             
               Petal ratio of length to 
               1.21 
               1.27 
             
             
               width 
             
             
               Petal shoulder 
               Present 
               Present 
             
             
               Filament colour 
               Green/White 157A 
               White 157B 
             
             
               Anther colour 
               Yellow 16C 
               Yellow 15C 
             
             
               Attitude of styles 
               Semi erect 
               Semi erect 
             
             
               Curvature of styles 
               Absent 
               Absent 
             
             
               Colour of styles 
               White 155D 
               White 155B 
             
             
               Amount of hair on 
               Dense 
               Dense 
             
             
               ovary 
             
             
               Colour of ovary 
               White 157B 
               White 157B 
             
             
               Number of sepals 
               6-7 
               6-8 
             
             
               Colour of sepal 
               Green 148D 
               Green 148C 
             
             
               Length of sepals 
             
             
               Range 
               8.7-12.4 mm 
               10.0-14.1 mm 
             
             
               Mean 
               11.4 mm 
               11.6 mm 
             
             
               Sepal diameter 
               9.1 mm 
               5.3 mm 
             
             
               Flower Opening 
               Mid October 
               Mid October 
             
             
               Vegetative bud break 
               Early September 
               Early September 
             
             
               Plant/fruit disease &amp; 
               None 
               None 
             
             
               pest resistance 
             
             
               Plant hardiness zone or 
               Not Known 
               Not known 
             
             
               heat/cold resistance 
             
             
                 
             
             
               Color references are in accord with the R.H.S. Colour Chart, the Royal Horticultural Society, London, 2001    
             
          
         
       
     
   
   The most striking difference between ‘Skelton A16’ and ‘HORT16A’ is that of flowering and harvest times. ‘Skelton A16’ ovoid fruit have slightly depressed to slightly blunt protruding stylar end, whereas ‘HORT16A’ are ovoid with a strongly protruding blunt stylar end. The harvest date of ‘Skelton A16’ is in early April, a good two-four weeks prior to the harvest date of early May for ‘HORT16A.’