PLUMSWEET IX Interspecific Plum Tree Cross-Pollination and Fruit Quality

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for a new variety of plum tree that is self-unfruitful and requires cross-pollination, producing large, sweet fruit with a unique two-tone red and yellowish green skin color and significant red flesh color, which matures earlier than existing varieties while being hardy and productive in central California's climate.

Innovation Solution

The development of the 'PLUMSWEET IX' interspecific plum tree, which is self-unfruitful and requires cross-pollination from an apricot or plum tree, produces large, sweet fruit with a two-tone red and yellowish green skin and significant red flesh, and is characterized by its medium size, vigorous growth, and ability to thrive in central California's climate, with specific pomological characteristics such as medium height, spreading form, and heat tolerance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If the plum tree variety is self-unfruitful and requires cross-pollination, then fruit quality and sweetness are improved, but pollination reliability and fruit set are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefruit quality and sweetnessVSAvoidpollination reliability and fruit set

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces bee hives as intermediary agents to facilitate cross-pollination between self-unfruitful plum trees. The bees act as mediators that transfer pollen between trees, enabling fruit set without compromising the self-unfruitful genetic characteristic that produces superior fruit quality. This resolves the contradiction by using an external intermediary to bridge the pollination gap.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of time

If the tree blooms later in the season, then fruit matures earlier relative to competitors, but pollination window and bee activity are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefruit maturity timing advantageVSAvoidpollination window and bee activity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent places bee hives in advance within or near the screen houses containing the plum trees before blooming occurs. This preliminary positioning ensures that bees are already present and active when the trees bloom, even though the blooming occurs later in the season when natural bee activity might be reduced. The bees are prepared and positioned ahead of time to capture the pollination opportunity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If abundant blossoms and pollen are produced to entice bee activity, then cross-pollination success is improved, but energy consumption and resource allocation are increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecross-pollination successVSAvoidenergy consumption for blossom and pollen production

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent leverages the natural foraging behavior of bees, which independently seek out blossoms and pollen as their own food source. The plum trees produce abundant blossoms and pollen that simultaneously serve dual purposes: attracting bees for cross-pollination and providing nutrition for the bees themselves. This self-service approach allows the trees to achieve high pollination success without additional energy input, as the bees' own needs drive the pollination process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The 'PLUMSWEET IX' tree ensures successful pollination with abundant blossoms and pollen, producing fruit that is uniformly large, firm, and excellent in flavor, with good shipping quality and resistance to heat, maintaining quality for 21 days in cold storage, making it suitable for fresh market and long-distance shipping.

Implementation Method 1

The present variety's abundance of blossoms and pollen entices strong bee activity to facilitate pollination

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPollination:

Implementation Method 2

maintaining quality for 21 days in cold storage

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCold storage preservation: Cooling

Data Source

PatentUSPP18666P2Interspecific tree named `PLUMSWEET IX`

Publication Date: 2008.03.25 BRADFORD LOWELL GLEN

AI summary

The present invention relates to an interspecific tree and more particularly to a new and distinct variety broadly characterized by a medium size, vigorous, hardy, and productive tree. Being self-unfruitful, the present variety requires cross pollination from an apricot, interspecific, or plum that blooms during the mid to late season. The fruit matures under the ecological conditions described during late August, with first picking on Aug. 24, 2006. The fruit is uniformly large in size, a yellowish green and red two-tone in skin color, semi-freestone in type, globose to somewhat cordate is shape, mostly red in flesh color, firm in texture, and excellent in flavor.