DS 22 Apple Tree Early Harvest and Browning Resistance

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing apple tree varieties, such as 'Honeycrisp', have limitations in early harvesting, fruit appearance, storage traits, and browning resistance, which affect their commercial viability and consumer appeal.

Innovation Solution

The development of the 'DS 22' apple tree variety, which matures about five days earlier than 'Honeycrisp', features a unique skin pattern, lower sugar content, less fruit pressure, and resistance to browning, achieved through selective breeding and grafting onto M26 rootstock.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If the apple tree variety matures earlier, then the harvesting date is improved, but the fruit development time is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by selecting and breeding apple trees with specific genetic parameters that accelerate maturation while maintaining fruit quality. The DS 22 variety was developed through selective breeding to optimize the maturation rate parameter, achieving earlier harvest (5 days earlier than Honeycrisp) while preserving adequate fruit development time through genetic selection rather than environmental manipulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the fruit has higher sugar content, then the taste quality is improved, but the storage stability deteriorates due to increased browning

Engineering Contradiction:

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent utilizes parameter changes by breeding apple varieties with optimized sugar composition parameters. The DS 22 variety achieves a balanced sugar profile that provides good taste while exhibiting reduced browning characteristics through selective breeding of trees showing both high sugar content and low browning propensity, thereby changing the chemical composition parameters to resolve the contradiction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies blessing in disguise by converting the natural browning tendency (harmful factor) into a selection criterion (benefit). Trees that naturally exhibited lower browning despite high sugar content were selected and propagated, turning what was traditionally a trade-off into a desirable dual characteristic of the DS 22 variety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Reliability

If the fruit pressure is reduced, then the storage quality is improved, but the fruit size may be affected

Engineering Contradiction:

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by selecting apple trees with specific fruit pressure parameters that optimize storage quality. The DS 22 variety was bred to have reduced fruit pressure (12.8 lbs compared to Honeycrisp's 13.8 lbs) while maintaining acceptable fruit size through selective breeding of trees that exhibited both low pressure and adequate size, thereby optimizing the pressure-size parameter relationship.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUSPP23933P3Apple tree `DS 22`

Publication Date: 2013.10.01

AI summary

A new and distinct variety of apple tree is described and which is somewhat similar in its overall characteristics to that of the ‘Honeycrisp’ apple tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,197), but which is distinguishable therefrom by producing a fruit which is ripe for harvesting and shipment about 5 days earlier than the ‘Honeycrisp’ apple tree when grown under the prevailing ecological conditions which occur near Ephrata, Wash.