USPP33252P3 - Strawberry plant named ‘Shannon M. Kent’ - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a new and distinct strawberry variety designated as ‘Shannon M. Kent’ (a.k.a. ‘110168’). The ‘Shannon M. Kent’ cultivar is primarily adapted to growing conditions of the central coast of California and produces strong vigorous plants that remain in fruit production from March through October.

Description

Latin name of the genus and species: Fragaria x ananassa.

Varietal denomination: ‘Shannon M. Kent’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct strawberry variety designated as ‘Shannon M. Kent’ (a.k.a. ‘110168’), which was previously designated ‘Perla’, as disclosed in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/835,705.

‘Shannon M. Kent’ (a.k.a. ‘110168’) is the result of a controlled-cross between a female parent cultivar designated ‘107987’ and a male parent cultivar designated ‘107801’, and was first fruited in Watsonville, Calif. growing fields. Both parents are proprietary strawberry plant varieties made by the inventor and are not available to the public. Following selection and during testing, the plant was originally designated ‘110168’ and subsequently named ‘Shannon M. Kent’.

This new variety was asexually reproduced via runners (stolons) by the inventor at Watsonville, Calif. Asexual propagules from the original source have been tested in Watsonville growing fields and to a limited extent, grower fields in high elevation. The properties of this variety were found to be transmissible by such asexual reproduction. This cultivar is stable and reproduce true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color photographs depict various characteristics of the cultivar as nearly true as possible to make color reproductions. The age of the plants in FIGS. 1-3 is nine months old.

FIG. 1 shows ‘Shannon M. Kent’ plant.

FIG. 2 shows ‘Shannon M. Kent’ flowers.

FIG. 3 shows ‘Shannon M. Kent’ leaf.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a new and distinctive strawberry cultivar designated as ‘Shannon M. Kent’ (a.k.a. ‘110168’). This cultivar is primarily adapted to the climate and growing conditions of the central coast of California. This region provides the necessary temperatures required for it to produce a strong vigorous plant and to remain in fruit production from March through October. The nearby Pacific Ocean provides the needed humidity and moderate day temperatures and evening chilling to maintain fruit quality for the production months.

The following traits and photographs in combination distinguish the strawberry variety ‘Shannon M. Kent’ from known strawberry varieties. Plants for the botanical measurements in the present application were grown as annuals. Any color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The age of the plants in Table 1 is nine months old.

TABLE 1
Characteristics of Shannon M. Kent

Character-
istic
Type	Characteristic	Observation
General	Plant Habit	annual
	Plant Growth Habit	semi-upright
	Day length	neutral
	Planting season	Fall
	Height	30.5 cm
	Width	38.5 cm
	Density of foliage	medium
	Plant vigor	moderate
	Freezing Quality	moderate
	Rain/weather tolerance	moderate
	Harvest Ease	moderate
Leaf	Number of leaflets per leaf	3
	Leaflet texture	soft
	Leaf average width,	142 mm
	Leaf average height	76 mm
	Leaf Shape	concave
	Terminal leaflet width	76 mm
	Terminal leaflet length	69 mm
	Terminal leaflet length/width ratio	1.1
	Teeth per terminal leaflet	24 to 27
	Shape of the terminal leaflet base	obtuse to rounded
	Shape of terminal leaflet in	concave
	cross-section
	Shape of the terminal leaflet margin	serrate to crenate
	Color of upper side of leaflet	RHS 137A
	Color of lower side of leaflet	RHS 137C
	Leaf blistering	weak
	Leaf glossiness	medium
	Leaf variegation	absent
	Terminal Leaflet margin	flat to revolute
	Terminal Leaflet shape	orbicular
	Terminal Leaflet shape of apex	rounded
Limbs	Petiole length	21.2 cm
	Petiole diameter	3.65 mm
	Petiole pubescence	medium
	Petiole pose of hairs	slightly outwards
	Petiole color	RHS 145B
	Petiolule length	0.4 to 0.7 cm
	Petiolule diameter	2.00 to 3.33 mm
	Petiolule color	RHS 139D
	Stipule length	3.8 cm
	Stipule width	1.0 cm
	Stipule pubescence	medium
	Stipule anthocyanin	present
	Stipule color	RHS 145A
	Peduncle average length	15.2 cm
	Peduncle average diameter	4.88 mm
	Peduncle color	RHS 145B
	Pedicel average length	8.12 cm
	Pedicel average diameter	3.1 mm
	Attitude of hairs on peduncle and	upwards
	pedicel
Inflore-	Inflorescence position relative	above
scence	to foliage
	Flower arrangement of petals	touching to
		overlapping
	Flower size	medium to large
	Flower diameter	3.5 to 3.9 cm
	Petal shape	orbicular
	Petal apex	rounded
	Petal margin	entire
	Petal base shape	concave
	Petal length	2.0 cm
	Petal width	2.0 cm
	Petal length/width ratio	1
	Petal number per flower	6
	Upper Petal color	RHS 155C
	Lower Petal color	RHS 155C
	Peduncle size	medium
	Floral Calyx Diameter	5.0 to 5.6 cm
	Corolla diameter	3.5 to 3.9 cm
	Calyx diameter relative to corolla	larger
	Inner calyx diameter relative	equal to smaller
	to outer calyx
	Sepal shape	elliptical
	Sepal apex	convex
	Sepal margin	entire
	Sepal length	2.6 cm
	Sepal width	1.1 cm
	Sepal number per flower	14
	Fertility	not tested
	Time of flowering (50% of	May
	plants in bloom)
	Stigma shape	capitate
	Stigma color	RHS 15B
	Style length	1.5 mm
	Style color	RHS 6A
	Ovary color	RHS 145A
	Number of stamen	25 to 30
	Stamen length	3.0 to 6.0 mm
	Anther shape	dorsifixed
	Anther size	1.5 mm
	Anther color	RHS 22A
	Filament color	RHS 8C
	Filament length	2.5 to 5.5 mm
Stolon	Number of Stolon	3
	Stolon length	45 cm
	Stolon widest diameter at leaf	3.6 mm
	attachment
	Stolon texture	smooth
	Stolon pubescence	sparse
	Stolon shape	long cylindrical
	Stolon color	RHS 142A
	Stolon anthocyanin intensity	Absent
Fruit	Average number of fruits per truss	5
	Fruit length	4.15 cm
	Fruit width	4.15 cm
	Fruit length/width ratio	1
	Fruit weight	26.5 g
	Firmness of flesh	firm
	Relative fruit size	medium to large
	Predominant fruit shape	globose conic
	Achenes position	slightly indented
	Achenes color full ripe	RHS 154D
	Achenes color near ripe	RHS 43B
	Achenes number per fruit	about 280
	Fruit skin color	RHS 44B
	Fruit flesh color	RHS 44B
	Fruit core color	RHS 43B
	Calyx color	RHS 137A
	Pose of calyx segments	reflexed
	Flesh firmness	firm
	Sweetness	7.11 Brix
	Acidity	3.49 pH
	Time of flowering	May
	Time of fruit ripening	May
	Harvest maturity (50% of	June
	plants with ripe fruit
	Type of bearing	day neutral
	Surface Texture	smooth
	Fruit Appearance	6
	(1-7 scale; 7 = best)
	Storage longevity	10 days
	Percent marketable fruit	85%
Horti-	Average plant marketable fruit yield	1476 g
cultural	(weeks 17-37)
	Crop suitability	Fresh market
		and freezer
	Temperature tolerance range	−2° C. to 36° C.
	USDA Hardiness Zone adaptability	5a,5b,6a,6b,7a,7b,
	for annual transplanting of California	8a,8b,9a,9b, 10a
	grown commercial rootstock
	Cull rate (% Usable)	14.5%

‘Seascape’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,614) is a commercial strawberry variety that is similar to, but distinguished from ‘Shannon M. Kent’. The fruit yield ‘Shannon M. Kent’ is greater than the fruit yield of comparison variety ‘Seascape’ and ‘Shannon M. Kent’ has a greater percent of marketable fruit than ‘Seascape’. The fruit height to fruit width ratio of the fruit of ‘Shannon M. Kent’ closer to unity compared to the fruit height to fruit width ratio of the fruit of ‘Seascape’. The petiole of ‘Shannon M. Kent’ is thicker in diameter than the petiole of ‘Seascape’. The florescence of ‘Shannon M. Kent’ extends beyond the leaf canopy and ‘Shannon M. Kent’ is easier to harvest compared to ‘Seascape’ with its habit of setting fruit beneath the canopy.

The new strawberry variety ‘Shannon M. Kent’ exceeds both its parents in fruit yield and the percent of marketable fruit of ‘Shannon M. Kent’ is less than the percent marketable fruit of female parent ‘107987’ and greater than that of male parent ‘107801’. The full fruiting season fruit yield of ‘Shannon M. Kent’ is greater than the yield of male parent ‘107801’, however, the male parent produced more fruit during the early season when compared to ‘Shannon M. Kent’. The fruit of ‘Shannon M. Kent’ is firmer than male parent ‘107801’. The fruit colour of ‘Shannon M. Kent’ is deeper red than the fruit colour of either of its two parents.

Claims (1)

The invention claimed is:

1. A new and distinct cultivar of strawberry plant named ‘Shannon M. Kent’ substantially as shown and described herein.

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