Mara Seedless Grapevine Breeding for Seedless Fruit and Vigor

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for new grapevine varieties that combine high vigor, productivity, disease resistance, and desirable fruit characteristics such as seedlessness, flavor, and storage qualities, which existing varieties have not adequately addressed.

Innovation Solution

The 'Mara Seedless' grapevine variety was developed through artificial pollination of 'Red Globe' and 'Crimson' seedless grape varieties, exhibiting enhanced vigor, productivity, and resistance to diseases and environmental stresses, with asexual propagation ensuring consistent characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If existing grapevine varieties are used, then certain desirable characteristics may be present, but they fail to combine high vigor, productivity, disease resistance, and seedless fruit quality simultaneously

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecombination of vigor, productivity, disease resistance, and fruit qualityVSAvoidseed presence

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The breeding program segmented the parental varieties' characteristics, selecting for seedless fruit quality from one parent while maintaining vigor and disease resistance from the other, ultimately producing a unified variety that combines all desired traits without seeds

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges multiple desirable characteristics from different parental varieties into a single grapevine variety, combining seedless fruit quality with high vigor, productivity, and disease resistance that were previously distributed across separate varieties

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of operation

If seedless varieties are selected, then fruit quality improves, but productivity and vigor may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseedless fruit qualityVSAvoidvine vigor and yield

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The breeding program applied local quality by selecting for seedlessness in the fruit while independently maintaining high vigor and productivity in the vine's vegetative characteristics, achieving both seedless fruit quality and high productivity in the same variety

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If disease resistance is prioritized, then reliability improves, but fruit quality characteristics may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisease resistanceVSAvoidfruit flavor and appearance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The breeding program dynamically balanced disease resistance with fruit quality, adjusting selection criteria across multiple generations to achieve a variety that exhibits both strong disease resistance and superior fruit characteristics including flavor, color, and seedless quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUSPP19599P2Grapevine plant named `Mara Seedless`

Publication Date: 2008.12.30 ANTON CARATAN & SON

AI summary

A new and distinct variety of grapevine is provided which abundantly forms attactive medium-to-large seedless berries having a rose-pink skin coloration in medium-to-large clusters. The fruit displays a sweet crisp flavor and is firm in texture. The fruit commonly is ready for harvest during October in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California, U.S.A., and displays good eating qualities as a table grape. The fruit firmness renders the fruit well amenable for handling, shipping, and storage.