USPP37032P3

Apple tree named ‘BENITSURUGI’

Publication

Country:US

Doc Number:PP037032

Kind:P3

Date:2025-10-21

Application

Country:US

Doc Number:18789972

Date:2024-07-31

Classifications

IPC Classifications

A01H5/08A01H6/74

CPC Classifications

A01H6/7418

Applicants

NATIONAL AGRICULTURE AND FOOD RESEARCH ORGANIZATION

Inventors

Yutaka Sawamura, Shigeki Moriya, Kazuyuki Abe, Kazuma Okada, Taku Shimizu, Hiroshi Iwanami, Nobuhiro Kotoda, Takashi Haji, Sae Takahashi, Yuki Moriya, Hirohisa Nesumi, Ayato Hori, Takashi Baba

Abstract

A new variety of apple tree ‘BENITSURUGI’ that has columnar tree type, bearing on spurs only, thick to very thick shoot thickness, short internode length, long leaf blade length, long petiole length, short to medium fruit stalk length, medium size and short to medium height fruit with fully open locules.

Figures

Description

[0001]Common name: Apple.

[0002]Botanical classification: Malus domestica (Suclow) Borkh.

[0003]Variety denomination: ‘BENITSURUGI’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0004]This application claims priority of Japanese plant variety rights application No. 37015 filed Aug. 31, 2023, the entire content of which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW VARIETY

[0005]The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of apple tree, Malus domestica (Suclow) Borkh, which has been given the variety denomination ‘BENITSURUGI’.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

[0006]The parent varieties are ‘5-12786’ (male parent) (not patented) and ‘SANSA’ (female parent) (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,519), respectively.

[0007]The variety was developed and propagated at the Morioka Research Station, Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), in Morioka, Iwate, Japan.

[0008]The variety was reproduced asexually by vegetative reproduction by grafting one-year-old cuttings on rootstocks.

[0009]In 2005, crossing the parent varieties and collecting seeds.

[0010]In 2006, columnar type's seedlings are selected by SCAR682 DNA marker from growing seedlings.

[0011]In 2007, they were grafted on JM1 root stock.

[0012]In 2008, they were transplanted at breeding field. And selected individual plant.

[0013]In 2015, the instant plant was selected as a promising breeding line and provisionally named ‘Morioka 74’.

[0014]In 2016, growing test for local adaptability were started under confidentiality conditions at 16 public testing stations in Japan.

[0015]On Aug. 31, 2023, an application for plant variety rights No. 37015 was filed for the present variety in the Japanese Plant Variety Protection Office of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Japan.

[0016]Cultivation of the variety does not require special conditions or treatments.

[0017]The variety is currently mainly intended for fruit production (table use).

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

[0018]The present variety is distinguished by columnar tree type, bearing on spurs only, thick to very thick shoot thickness, short internode length, long leaf blade length, long petiole length, short to medium fruit stalk length, medium size and short to medium height fruit with fully open locules, that distinguish it, notably from its male parent ‘5-12786’ (medium extent of anthocyanin overcolor of young fruit, late harvest time) and female parent ‘SANSA’ (ramified tree type, medium shoot thickness, medium internode length, early harvest time), as well as from reference varieties ‘SENSHU’ (ramified tree type, bearing on spurs and long shoots, thin to medium shoot thickness, medium internode length, medium leaf blade length, short to medium petiole length, fruit with moderately open locules) and ‘SHINANO SWEET’ (ramified tree type, bearing on spurs and long shoots, thin to medium shoot thickness, medium internode length, short to medium leaf blade length, short to medium petiole length, medium to long fruit stalk length, large size and tall height fruit).

[0019]A comparison with the male parent ‘5-12786’ is as follows (evaluation based on averages):

TABLE 1

		Male parent	Present variety
		‘5-12786’	‘BENITSURUGI’
No.	Characteristics	States	States

34	Young fruit: extent	medium	absent or very
	of anthocyanin		small to small
	overcolor
101	Time of harvest	late	medium

[0021]A comparison with the female parent ‘SANSA’ is as follows (evaluation based on averages):

TABLE 2

		Female parent	Present variety
		‘SANSA’	‘BENITSURUGI’
No.	Characteristics	States	States

2	Tree: type	ramified	columnar
9	One-year-old shoot:	medium	thick to very
	thickness		thick
10	One-year-old shoot:	medium	short
	length of internode
101	Time of harvest	early	medium

[0023]A comparison with the reference varieties ‘SENSHU’ and ‘SHINANO SWEET’ is as follows (evaluation based on averages):

TABLE 3

			Reference
		Reference	variety	Present
		variety	‘SHINANO	variety
		‘SENSHU’	SWEET’	‘BENITSURUGI’
No.	Characteristics	States	States	States

2	Tree: type	ramified	ramified	columnar
6	Tree: type of	on spurs and	on spurs and	on spurs only
	bearing	long shoots	long shoots
9	One-year-old	thin to	thin to	thick to very
	shoot: thickness	medium	medium	thick
10	One-year-old	medium	medium	short
	shoot: length
	of internode
15	Leaf blade:	medium	short to	long
	length		medium
16	Leaf blade:	narrow to	narrow to	medium to
	width	medium	medium	broad
22	Petiole: length	short to	short to	long
		medium	medium
23	Petiole: extent		medium	small
	of anthocyanin
	coloration
	from base
30	Flower:		light pink	dark pink
	predominant
	color at
	balloon stage
34	Young fruit:	large		absent or very
	extent of
	anthocyanin			small to small
	overcolor
61	Fruit: size		large	medium
62	Fruit: height		tall	short to medium
86	Fruit: length	medium	medium to	short to medium
	of stalk		long
98	Fruit: aperture	moderately		fully open
	of locules (in	open
	transverse
	section)
101	Time of		medium to	medium
	harvest		late

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025]In the accompanying drawings, which are as nearly true as is reasonable possible to make in a color illustration of this type:

[0026]FIG. 1 is a color photograph showing a general view of the apple tree named ‘BENITSURUGI’ at harvest time.

[0027]FIG. 2 is a color photograph showing a flower of ‘BENITSURUGI’.

[0028]FIG. 3 is a color photograph showing detached upper surface petals, pistils, flowering stalk including calyx and detached stamens of the flower of ‘BENITSURUGI’.

[0029]FIG. 4 is a color photograph showing fruits of ‘BENITSURUGI’.

[0030]FIG. 5 is a color photograph showing cross sections of fruits of ‘BENITSURUGI’.

[0031]FIG. 6A is a color photograph showing the tree type of reference variety ‘SHINANO SWEET’.

[0032]FIG. 6B is a color photograph showing the tree type of reference variety ‘SENSHU’.

[0033]FIG. 6C is a color photograph showing the tree type of the present variety ‘BENITSURUGI’.

[0034]FIG. 7 is a color photograph showing one year old shoot of ‘BENITSURUGI’ (top), in comparison with ‘SENSHU’ (middle) and ‘SHINANO SWEET’ (bottom).

[0035]FIG. 8 is a color photograph showing leaves of ‘BENITSURUGI’ (center), in comparison with ‘SHINANO SWEET’ (left) and ‘SENSHU’ (right).

[0036]FIG. 9A is a color photograph showing the petiole: extent of anthocyanin coloration from base of ‘BENITSURUGI’ (bottom), in comparison with ‘SHINANO SWEET’ (top).

[0037]FIG. 9B is a color photograph showing a more detailed view of the petiole: extent of anthocyanin coloration from base of ‘BENITSURUGI’ (bottom), in comparison with ‘SHINANO SWEET’ (top).

[0038]FIG. 10 is a color photograph showing the flower bud of ‘BENITSURUGI’ (left), in comparison with ‘SHINANO SWEET’ (right).

[0039]FIG. 11 is a color photograph showing the young fruit of ‘BENITSURUGI’ (left), in comparison with ‘SENSHU’ (right).

[0040]FIG. 12 is a color photograph showing the fruit of ‘BENITSURUGI’ (center), in comparison with ‘SHINANO SWEET’ (top) and ‘SENSHU’ (bottom).

[0041]FIG. 13 is a color photograph showing another view of the fruit of ‘BENITSURUGI’ (center), in comparison with ‘SENSHU’ (left) and ‘SHINANO SWEET’ (right).

[0042]FIG. 14 is a color photograph showing the underside of fruit of ‘BENITSURUGI’ (middle), in comparison with ‘SHINANO SWEET’ (top) and ‘SENSHU’ (bottom).

[0043]FIG. 15 is a color photograph showing the fruit stalk of ‘BENITSURUGI’ (center), in comparison with ‘SENSHU’ (left) and ‘SHINANO SWEET’ (right).

[0044]FIG. 16 is a color photograph showing the fruit shape of core of ‘BENITSURUGI’ (middle), in comparison with ‘SHINANO SWEET’ (top) and ‘SENSHU’ (bottom).

[0045]FIG. 17 is a color photograph showing the aperture of locules in transverse section of the fruit of ‘BENITSURUGI’ (right), in comparison with ‘SENSHU’ (left).

[0046]FIG. 18 is a color photograph showing a general view of the fruit of ‘BENITSURUGI’.

[0047]Due to chemical and/or digital development, processing and printing, the plants or portions of plants depicted in the photographs may or may not be precisely accurate, when compared to the actual botanical specimens.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0048]The botanical description and the photographs are of the ‘BENITSURUGI’ plants evaluated from 2020 to 2022 (including for the comparison with the reference plants ‘SENSHU’ and ‘SHINANO SWEET’. The age of the plants shown on the photographs and evaluated was 8 years, 5 months on Oct. 2, 2020. Values as provided are averages.

[0049]The plants shown on the photographs were grown at Morioka, Iwate, Japan.

[0050]

The dates each photograph was taken are as follows:

- [0051]FIGS. 1, 18: Oct. 2, 2020,
- [0052]FIGS. 2, 3: May 11, 2020
- [0053]FIGS. 4, 5: Oct. 9, 2020
- [0054]FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C: Sep. 29, 2022
- [0055]FIG. 7: Dec. 23, 2022
- [0056]FIGS. 8, 12, 16: Dec. 15, 2022
- [0057]FIG. 9A, 9B: Aug. 24, 2020
- [0058]FIG. 10: May 10, 2021
- [0059]FIG. 11: Jun. 21, 2021
- [0060]FIGS. 13, 14, 15, 17: Dec. 1, 2021

[0061]Colors are given according to The R.H.S. (Royal Horticultural Society) Colour Chart, Sixth Edition, 2015.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

TABLE 4

No.	Characteristics	States	Values

1	Tree: vigor	medium
2	Tree: type	columnar
3	Tree: average height		3.2 m
4	Tree: average spread		1.2 m
5	Tree: habit	not
		applicable
6	Tree: type of bearing	on spurs only
7	Tree: trunk color	medium brown	166B
8	Tree: bark surface texture	smooth-medium
9	One-year-old shoot: thickness	thick to very	8.2 mm
		thick
10	One-year-old shoot: length	short	1.2 cm
	of internode
11	One-year-old shoot: color	medium brown	200A
	on sunny side		(dark
			brown)
12	One-year-old shoot:	strong
	pubescence
	(on distal half of shoot)
13	One-year-old shoot: number	many
	of lenticels
14	Leaf blade: attitude in	outwards
	relation to shoot
15	Leaf blade: length	long	11.5 cm
16	Leaf blade: width	medium to	6.6 cm
		broad
17	Leaf blade: ratio length/	medium to	1.7
	width	large
18	Leaf blade: intensity of green	dark green	139A
	color (upper surface)
19	Leaf blade: intensity of green	light green	142C
	color (lower surface)
20	Leaf blade: incisions of	serrate type 2
	margin (upper half)	(crenate to
		serrate)
21	Leaf blade: pubescence on	medium
	lower side
22	Petiole: length	long	4.6 cm
23	Petiole: extent of	small	22.50%
	anthocyanin
	coloration from base
24	Petiole: color	light green	145C
25	Leaf stipule: length		11.0 mm
26	Leaf stipule: width		2.5 mm
27	Leaf stipule: shape	long round
28	Leaf stipule: color	medium green	143B
29	Flowers: average number	5 flowers per
	per spur	cluster
30	Flower: predominant color	purplish pink	N74C
	at balloon stage
31	Flower: diameter with petals	small to	4.8 cm
	pressed into horizontal	medium
	position
32	Flower: arrangement of petals	overlapping
33	Flower: position of stigmas	same level
	relative to anthers
34	Young fruit: extent of	absent or very	10.70%
	anthocyanin overcolor	small to small
35	Sepal: length		8.6 mm
36	Sepal: width		5.0 mm
37	Sepal: shape	deltoid
38	Sepal: surface texture	smooth with
		medium
		pubescence
39	Sepal: color	light green	141D
40	Pedicel: length		16.3 mm
41	Pedicel: width		2.1 mm
42	Pedicel: surface texture	smooth with
		medium
		pubescence
43	Pedicel: color	medium	146D
		brown green
44	Reproductive organs: number		20
	of stamens per flower
45	Reproductive organs: number		5
	of styles per flower
46	Reproductive organs: length		8.4 mm
	of stamen
47	Reproductive organs: length		2.7 mm
	of anther
48	Reproductive organs: length		6.2 mm
	of style
49	Reproductive organs: color	white	155A
	of filament
50	Reproductive organs: color	light yellow	5D
	of anther
51	Reproductive organs: color	light green	145B
	of style
52	Reproductive organs: color	light green	144D
	of stigma
53	Reproductive organs: color	light green	145B
	of ovary
54	Seed: number per fruit		8.6
55	Seed: number per fruit cell		1.6
56	Seed: length		8.3 mm
57	Seed width		4.8 mm
58	Seed: depth		3.3 mm
59	Seed: shape	obtuse
60	Seed: color (with RHS	dark brown	187A
	number)
61	Fruit: size	medium	311.5 g
62	Fruit: height	short to	8 cm
		medium
63	Fruit: diameter	medium	9.1 cm
64	Fruit: ratio height/diameter	medium	0.88
65	Fruit: general shape	globose
66	Fruit: ribbing	absent or weak
67	Fruit: crowning at calyx end	absent or weak
68	Fruit: size of eye	very small to
		small
69	Fruit: length of sepal	short to
		medium
70	Fruit: bloom of skin	absent or weak
71	Fruit: greasiness of skin	absent or weak
72	Fruit: surface texture of skin	smooth
73	Fruit: ground color	yellow green	150C
			(yellow
			green)
74	Fruit: relative area of	large	87.7%
	over color
75	Fruit: hue of over	red	187B
	color-with bloom		(dark
	removed		purple
			red)
76	Fruit: intensity of over color	dark
77	Fruit: pattern of over color	solid flush with
		weakly defined
		stripes
78	Fruit: width of stripes	narrow to
		medium
79	Fruit: intensity of stripes	weak to medium
80	Fruit: area of russet around	absent or small
	stalk attachment
81	Fruit: area of russet on cheeks	absent or small
82	Fruit: area of russet around	absent or small
	eye basin
83	Fruit: number of lenticels	medium
84	Fruit: size of lenticels	small to medium
85	Fruit: scarfskin	very small to
		small
86	Fruit: length of stalk	short to medium	1.8 cm
87	Fruit: thickness of stalk	thin to medium	3.1 mm
88	Fruit: depth of stalk cavity	shallow medium	2.2 cm
89	Fruit: width of stalk cavity	narrow medium	4 cm
90	Fruit: depth of eye basin	medium	1.2 cm
91	Fruit: width of eye basin	medium	3.4 cm
92	Fruit: firmness of flesh	medium	15 lbs
93	Fruit: color of flesh	cream	8D (light
			yellow)
94	Fruit: sweetness of flesh	medium	13.5 %
95	Fruit: acidity of flesh	low	0.36 g/
			100 ml
96	Fruit: water-core of flesh	absent or very
		slight
97	Fruit: shape of core	flat round
98	Fruit: aperture of locules	fully open
	(in transverse section)
99	Pollination requirements	flowers are self-
		incompatible, S
		genotype is S3S5
		and requires
		pollination by
		another S
		genotype diploid
		apple
100	Time of beginning of	early to medium	May 9
	flowering
101	Time of harvest	medium	October 2
102	Shipping quality	moderate
103	Storage life	6-11 days
		at room
		temperature, 1
		month at
		refrigerated
		temperature
104	Market use	fresh, juice,
		multiple use
105	Productivity (weight/plant)		22.5
			kg/tree
			(average
			for 7-8
			year-old
			tree)
106	Resistance to:	strong
	Alternaria blotch

[0063]

Other features of the plant are as follows:

- [0064]Disease resistance: Resistance to Alternaria blotch (Alternaria alternata) was observed. The new variety has the same susceptibility to Blotch (Diplocarpon mali), Powdery mildew (Podosphaera leucotricha) and Scab (Venturia inaequalis) as existing cultivars.

Claims

I/we claim:

1. A new and distinct variety of apple tree named ‘BENITSURUGI’, substantially as described and illustrated herein.