Howell TC5 WF Apple Tree Breeding for Pink Skin and Sweet Tart Flavor

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for a new apple tree variety that offers distinctive fruit characteristics, such as bright pinkish red skin and intense sweet/tart flavor, which are not adequately met by existing varieties like 'Cripps Pink' and 'Honeycrisp'.

Innovation Solution

The 'Howell TC5 WF' apple tree variety, resulting from a cross between 'Cripps Pink' and 'Honeycrisp', is selected for its unique skin color and flavor profile, and propagated through budding, maintaining its traits across generations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If existing apple varieties like 'Cripps Pink' and 'Honeycrisp' are used, then established cultivation methods can be applied, but the fruit lacks distinctive characteristics such as bright pinkish red skin and intense sweet/tart flavor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefruit quality characteristicsVSAvoidbreeding program complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines two existing apple varieties ('Cripps Pink' as seed parent and 'Honeycrisp' as pollen parent) through controlled cross-pollination to create a new variety 'Howell TC5 WF' that inherits and enhances desirable traits from both parents, specifically achieving bright pinkish red skin color and intense sweet/tart flavor profile

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Manufacturing precision

If a new apple variety with distinctive traits is developed through breeding, then unique fruit characteristics are achieved, but the reliability of trait consistency across generations must be ensured

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefruit quality characteristicsVSAvoidtrait fidelity across generations

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs asexual propagation through budding to clone the selected plant 'Howell TC5 WF', allowing the plant to reproduce itself with identical genetic material. This method ensures that the distinctive fruit characteristics (bright pinkish red skin, intense sweet/tart flavor) are faithfully replicated across all propagated generations without genetic variation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUSPP29215P3Apple tree named ‘Howell TC5 WF’

Publication Date: 2018.04.10 HOWELL FRUIT ADVANTAGE LLC

AI summary

A new and distinct apple tree is disclosed. ‘Howell TC5 WF’ is notable for its distinctive bright pink appearance and intense sweet/tart flavor.