Jonred IV Cherry Tree Early Ripening and Firmness via Colt Rootstock

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for a new cherry tree variety that combines early blooming, self-unfruitfulness, and improved fruit characteristics such as ripening time, texture, flavor, and skin color, while maintaining compatibility with existing rootstocks and being suitable for commercial orchards in central California's climate.

Innovation Solution

The 'Jonred IV' cherry tree variety is developed through cross-pollination of 'Glenred' cherry trees, exhibiting early blooming, self-unfruitfulness, and producing medium to large, sweet, firm, and crack-resistant cherries with a blackish-red skin, which are semi-freestone and ripen nine days earlier than 'Glenred', using 'Colt' rootstock for compatibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If cherry trees are cross-pollinated to improve fruit characteristics, then fruit quality and ripening time are improved, but the breeding process complexity and time required increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefruit production quality and ripening speedVSAvoidbreeding process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by selecting specific parental varieties with desirable traits (early blooming, self-unfruitfulness, crack resistance) and controlling pollination parameters to produce offspring with improved fruit characteristics including earlier ripening, better texture, and enhanced flavor while managing breeding complexity through systematic selection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of time

If cherry varieties are selected for early ripening, then market timing is improved, but fruit texture and firmness may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetime to market readinessVSAvoidfruit firmness and texture

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by selecting for specific localized traits in different parts of the fruit development process - early blooming time, crack-resistant skin structure, firm flesh texture, and sweet flavor profile - all while achieving early ripening, thereby improving market timing without sacrificing fruit quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If self-unfruitful varieties are selected for cross-pollination requirement, then fruit set quality is improved, but pollination management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefruit set quality and uniformityVSAvoidpollination management ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies self-service through the self-unfruitful characteristic of the cherry variety, which naturally requires cross-pollination to produce fruit. This biological mechanism ensures that the trees will not set fruit without pollination, thereby guaranteeing fruit set quality and uniformity while the pollination management is handled through natural bee activity in the orchard

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUSPP33306P2Cherry tree named ‘Jonred IV’

Publication Date: 2021.08.03 BRADFORD LOWELL GLEN

AI summary

The present invention relates to a cherry tree, Prunus avium, and more particularly to a new and distinct variety broadly characterized by a medium size, moderately vigorous, hardy, self-unfruitful, and productive tree. The fruit matures under the ecological conditions described in early May, with first picking on May 1, 2020. The fruit is medium to large in size, very sweet in flavor, oblate in shape, freestone in type, very firm in texture, pink to moderate red in flesh color, blackish red in skin color, and has a medium length stem that is strongly attached to the fruit.