Japanese pear tree named ‘Akizuki’

Details Japanese pear tree named ‘Akizuki’ Japanese pear tree named ‘Akizuki’

2000-03-16

2002-01-29

Campell, Bruce R. (Department: 1661)

Plants

Rose

Climber

Plant Patent

active

PP012373

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Japanese pear tree (
Pyrus pyrifolia
), and particularly to a russet type pear tree forming mid to late season ripening fruits having excellent quality, and having a significantly strong resistance to black spot disease.
In Japan, recent trends in distribution of russet type Japanese pear cultivars leans towards excellent cultivars, known as ‘Hosui’ (unpatented in the U.S.) and ‘Kosui’ (unpatented in the U.S.). However, a new excellent variety which can be harvested subsequent to ‘Hosui’ is required.
ORIGIN AND ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION OF THE VARIETY
The present new variety of Japanese pear tree was a cross-seedling which originated from a crossing between ‘162-29’ (♀) (the seed parent) (unpatented in the U.S.) and ‘Kosui’ (♂) (the pollen parent). The seed parent ‘169-29’ is a russet type Japanese pear variety having large fruits with excellent quality, ripening slightly late in the season, and having resistance to black spot disease, and was bred by a crossing between ‘Niitaka’ (unpatented in the U.S.) and ‘Hosui’. The crossing between ‘169-29’ and ‘Kosui’ was carried out in 1985, seeds were obtained, and seedlings from the seeds were planted at a selection field in 1987. The tree bore fruit for the first time in 1990, and the maturation period, resistance to disease and the quality of the fruit satisfied the above-stated purpose. Thus the tree was selected as the first selection in 1991, and subjected to local adaptability tests from 1992 at 34 experimental stations in the main pear growing regions, such as Saitama-ken, Tottori-ken, Chiba-ken, Ibaraki-ken, of Japan, as the strain number ‘Pear Tsukuba No. 47’. As a result, this new variety was judged to be a russet type pear variety having good quality and harvestable between ‘Hosui’ and ‘Niitaka’, and this new variety of Japanese pear tree was named ‘Akizuki’ in 1998. The genus and species of the variety is
Pyrus pyrifolia.
This new and distinct variety of Japanese pear tree ‘Akizuki’ was asexually reproduced at the National Institute of Fruit Tree Science, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), at 2-1, Fujimoto, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken, Japan, by grafting and the homogeneity and stability thereof were confirmed.
SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY
The following description is based on observation of a 12 year old plant grown by trellis training, with fertilizer applications at a rate of N:P:K =10:10:10 Kg/10 a. The observed plant was the original plant raised from a seedling, as opposed to a plant grafted on a rootstock. This new variety has a strong vigor and light greenish-brown, thick shoots. Bearing of spurs of the variety is average and that of axillary flower buds is few to average, and both less than for ‘Kosui’, ‘Hosui’ and ‘Niitaka’. Flowering time of the variety is late, the same as ‘Kosui’, and both the color of the flowers just before opening and that of the opened petals are white. The number of petals of the variety are many, but fewer than for ‘Kosui’. The color of unopened anthers is deep yellowish pink, resembling that of ‘Kosui’. A fruit bearing tree was obtained after four years of culture in the Ibaraki-ken site. The new variety produces large sized, i.e., about 500 g, larger than ‘Hosui’ and smaller than ‘Niitaka’, oblate shaped fruits, having wide breath and medium depth of stalk cavity. Ripening of the variety is 10 days later than that of ‘Hosui’ and about 1 week earlier than ‘Niitaka’ in Ibaraki-ken, Japan. Self-compatibility of the variety is low, but neither early fruit dropping nor late fruit dropping are observed, and the fruit setting is good, and thus productivity of immature trees of the variety is considered to be much greater than that of ‘Hosui’. Occurrence of heart rot, water core and cracking of the fruits are not observed. The fruit of the new variety is russet type pear having yellowish red brown fruit skin with densely distributed medium sized dots. The ratio of calyx perpetual fruit of the variety is high. The flesh of the variety is white colored, soft, compact and the degree of browning of a cut end thereof is medium. The taste of the flesh is highly sweet, slightly sweeter than that of ‘Hosui’, and is weakly sour, between ‘Kosui’ and ‘Hosui’. Aroma of the fruit of the variety is less than, but the taste is as excellent, as compared to ‘Hosui’.
The new variety is distinguishable from ‘Kosui’ in having stronger vigor, thicker shoots, lighter color of the shoot; the color of scale leaf of flower bud is reddish brown, the color of flower just before opening is white. The new variety is also distinguishable in having large size fruit, the ratio of calyx perpetual fruit being higher and the harvest season being later. The new variety is distinguishable from ‘Hosui’ in having lighter colored anthers, later flower blooming term, and in having no water core and spheroidal shaped fruit.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Japanese pear tree named ‘Akizuki’ does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Japanese pear tree named ‘Akizuki’, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Japanese pear tree named ‘Akizuki’ will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2846537