Strawberry plant named ‘DUNA’

Abstract

The present invention provides a new and distinct strawberry plant designated as ‘DUNA’, which originated from seed produced by manual cross between ‘E70’ and ‘25’. The new strawberry is a short-day with a long, conical, glossy and a light red colored fruit. This new strawberry is characterized by a fruit of excellent quality, long shelf-life and high value of Brix degrees.

Description

[0001] Botanical designation: Fragariaxananassa.

[0002] Varietal denomination: ‘DUNA’.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates to a new and distinct short-day strawberry variety designated as ‘A18-65-4’ by the breeder, and later named ‘DUNA’.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention relates to a new and distinct strawberry variety. The varietal denomination of the new variety is ‘DUNA’. Among the characteristics which are believed to distinguish the new variety from other varieties are a combination of traits which include the day length that is a short-day; the plant has a medium vigor and high yield with very early harvest of fruits; the fruit color is medium red; and the fruit size is large. The ‘DUNA’ strawberry plant is tolerant to Sphaerotheca macularis (the causal agent of powdery mildew, Phytophthora cactorum (the causal agent of crown rot), and Macrophomina phaseolina (the causal agent of charcoal rot).

[0005] ‘DUNA’ was created in a breeding program and is the result of a controlled-cross between two parental lines—the female experimental strawberry variety designated ‘E70’ and the male experimental strawberry variety designated ‘E25’, made by the Inventor and was first fruited growing fields in Huelva, Spain. From the beginning and during testing, the plant was designated ‘A18-65-4.’

[0006] This new variety was asexually reproduced via runners (stolons) by the inventor at Huelva, Spain. Asexual propagules from the original source have been tested in Huelva, Spain growing fields and to a limited extent, secondary grower fields in high elevation. The properties of this variety were found to be transmissible by such asexual reproduction. This cultivar is stable and reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0007] The accompanying color photographs and traits show typical specimens of the new cultivar at various stages of development as nearly true as it is possible to make in color reproductions.

[0008] The pictures were taken during May 2022 in Huelva, Spain.

[0009] FIGS. 1A and 1B show overall plant habit including fruit at various stages of development.

[0010] FIG. 2A shows the front side of a leaf with three leaflets and

[0011] FIG. 2B shows the back side of the leaf.

[0012] FIG. 3A shows flowers from the top and

[0013] FIG. 3B shows flowers from the bottom.

[0014] FIG. 4A shows the whole fruit and

[0015] FIG. 4B shows the fruit in longitudinal cross-section.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] This invention relates to a new and distinctive short-day variety named ‘DUNA’. This variety is primarily adapted to the climate and growing conditions of the South of Spain (Huelva, Spain). However, this variety can be planted in any place of the world.

[0017] ‘DUNA’ is a medium-vigorous plant, and produces fruits of a large size, with a conical shape and a medium red color. The fruit has an excellent quality with its high firmness is high and its moderate to high sweetness of 8.3° brix. Also, it is noteworthy that the new variety ‘DUNA’ has early flowering and ripening. The ‘DUNA’ variety produces a large amount of stolons which facilitate its multiplication.

[0018] The ‘DUNA’ variety is tolerant to the most frequent diseases in strawberry production, including those common to Huelva, Spain. Specifically, it is tolerant to powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca macularis), Phytophthora crown rot (Phytophthora cactorum), and charcoal rot (Macrophomina phaseolina).

[0019] The following traits in combination distinguish strawberry variety ‘DUNA’ from known strawberry variety, Fronteras (Table 1. General, Table 2. Leaf, Table 3. Runner (Stolon), Table 4. Inflorescence, and Table 5. Fruit, Table 6. Petiole, stipule and pedicel). A phenotypic comparison between the ‘DUNA’ variety and the comparator ‘Fronteras’ variety (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,709) is provided in Tables 1-6. The traits were measured in Huelva, Spain. The plant was 6 months old when measurements were taken in 2022 strawberry season (Confidence intervals (CI) are reported at α=0.05 and were calculated assuming a Student's t-distribution. N =10). Fresh bare root plant was used for planting. 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 yield and brix results in Table 7 come from a trial conducted in Huelva, Spain. The trial was a randomized complete block design with three repetitions and 40 plants per plot. It was cultivated under standard conditions of strawberry cultivation in Huelva, Spain.

[0020] The new variety ‘DUNA’ has clear differences with respect to the number of runners and the timing of flowering and ripening, when compared to the variety ‘Fronteras.’ The variety ‘DUNA’ has more runners (stolons) than ‘Fronteras’ and shows flowering and ripening earlier than the variety ‘Fronteras.’

[0021] TABLE 1GeneralCharacteristicDUNAFronterasPlant Growth HabitUprightSemi-uprightDay lengthShort-dayShort-dayDensity of foliageSparseSparsePlant vigorMediumMedium

[0022] TABLE 2LeafCharacteristicDUNAFronterasLeaf: VariegationAbsentAbsentLeaf: BlisteringMediumMediumNumber of leaflets33Leaf size (length ×Medium (96 mm ×Medium ( 90 mm ×width)127 mm, ±5 ×123 mm ± 6 ×7 mm)13 mm)Terminal leaflet: Moderately longer Moderately longerrelative length / widththan widethan wideratio (length × width)(67 mm × 54 mm, (64 mm × 51 mm,±4 × 4 mm)±6 × 6 mm)Terminal leaflet: AcuteAcuteShape of the baseTerminal leaflet: CrenateCrenateMarginLeaf color of Medium green Light green upper side(RHS NN137A)(RHS 139A)

[0023] TABLE 3Runner (Stolon)CharacteristicDUNAFronterasNumber of runners ManyMedium(stolons)Stolon anthocyaninAbsent to very Absent to very (color code)weak (RHS weak (RHS145B)146D)

[0024] TABLE 4InflorescenceCharacteristicDUNAFronterasNumber of flowersManyManyFlower diameterLarge, 35 mm, ±3 mmLarge to medium, 31 mm, ±1 mmInflorescence AboveAboveposition relativeto foliageRelative size of LargerLargercalyx relative to corollaStamenPresentPresentPetal spacingTouchingTouching tooverlappingPetal color of White (RHS 155B)White (RHS 155C)upper sidePetal length in Moderately longer, 11Moderately longer torelation to mm × 13 mm, ±0.7 ×equal, 11 mm × 12width (width ×0.8 mmmm, ±0.4 × 0.6 mmlength)Color of calyxRHS 143CRHS 143APetal number per 5 to 65 to 7flowerSepal number per 10 to 1212 to 14flowerNumber of stamen27 to 3227 to 32Color and length RHS 154A, 1.5 mm,RHS 150C, 1.6 mm, of style±0.1 mm±0.1 mmColor of ovaryGreenGreenAnther shapeOvalOvalAnther colorRHS 7ARHS 7AAnther length1.7 mm, ±0.1 mm1.6 mm, ±0.1 mmFilament colorGreenGreenFilament length2.6 mm, ±0.3 mm2.4 mm, ±0.3 mm

[0025] TABLE 5FruitCharacteristicDUNAFronterasFruit weight38 g, ±5.8 g36 g, ±4.9 gRelative length / width Moderately longer Moderately longer ratio (length × width)than wide (52 mm ×than wide (55 ×43 mm, ±3 × 2 mm)39 mm, ±3 × 1 mm)Relative fruit sizeLargeLargePredominant fruit shapeConicalConicalDifference in shape of SlightSlightterminal and other fruitsColor of surfaceMedium red (RHSMedium red (RHS44A)53A)Color of fleshMedium red (RHSMedium red (RHS(excluding core)35A)42B)Color of coreLight red (RHS Light red (RHS 35B)38C)Evenness of surfaceEven or very Even or very slightly unevenslightly unevenFruit achene colorRHS 163BRHS 166AWidth of band without Absent or very Absent or very achenesnarrownarrowPosition of achenesSlightly below Below surfacesurfacePosition of calyx Level with fruitLevel with fruitattachmentFirmnessFirmMediumCavityAbsent or smallMediumTime of floweringVery earlyEarlyTime of fruit ripeningVery earlyEarlyRemontancy Non-remontantNon-remontant(Reblooming)

[0026] TABLE 6Petiole, stipule, and pedicelCharacteristicDUNAFronterasPetiole lengthMedium, 174 mm,Short, 138 mm, ±12 mm±12 mmPetiole attitude HorizontalHorizontalof hairsPetiole diameter2.8 mm, ±0.1 mm3.1 mm, ±0.2 mmPetiole colorRHS 144CRHS 144CStipule anthocyaninWeak (RHS 144C)Weak (RHS 144C)colorationStipule length31 mm, ±3 mm36 mm, ±5 mmStipule width8 mm, ±1 mm7 mm, ±1 mmStipule Sparse to mediumSparse to mediumpubescencePedicel attitude UpwardsUpwards to slightlyof hairsoutwardsPedicel colorRHS 144CRHS 144C

[0027] The phenotypic comparison between the ‘DUNA’ variety and the comparator ‘Fronteras’ variety (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,709) is shown in Tables 1-6. The yield and brix results in Table 7 come from a trial conducted in Huelva, Spain. The trial was a randomized complete block design with three repetitions and 40 plants per plot. It was cultivated under standard conditions of strawberry cultivation in Huelva, Spain.

[0028] TABLE 7Fruit production and Brix degrees data of the new variety ‘DUNA’ and ‘Fronteras’PCPPCTPPTPPCTVariety(g)(g)(%)(%)BRIXDUNA30812561194958.3Fronteras22511971153968.8

[0029] Each value in Table 7 is the result of the average of three repetitions of 40 plants. PCP, early production (before March 31) in grams by plant; PCT, total commercial yield in grams by plant harvested; PPT, commercial yield in grams by first class fruit; PPCT, percentage of first class fruit over the total commercial yield; BRIX, Brix degrees.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of strawberry plant named ‘DUNA’ having the characteristics substantially as described and illustrated herein.

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