Royal Lydia Cherry Tree Low Chilling Requirement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cherry tree varieties lack a combination of large fruit size, desirable flavor, and extended maturity, as well as a low winter chilling requirement, which limits their adaptability and market appeal.
Innovation Solution
A new cherry tree variety, 'ROYAL LYDIA', developed through a cross between '48.5GG273' and 'Royal Lee', exhibiting larger fruit size, improved flavor, and a 7-day later maturity compared to its parents, with a low winter chilling requirement of approximately 500 hours at or below 45° F, propagated using 'Mahaleb' Rootstock for accelerated fruit production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing cherry tree varieties are used, then they have established fruit production, but they lack a combination of large fruit size, desirable flavor, and extended maturity with low winter chilling requirement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple desirable traits from different parent varieties into a single new variety. The new cherry tree merges the large fruit size and good flavor from one parent with the extended maturity and low chilling requirement from another parent, creating a composite variety that exhibits all four characteristics simultaneously, which neither parent possessed alone.
2Quantity of substance
If cherry varieties with large fruit size are selected, then fruit size is improved, but maturity is accelerated and winter chilling requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the genetic parameters of the cherry tree through controlled cross-breeding. By selecting specific parental lines with different genetic parameters for fruit size, maturity timing, and chilling requirement, the breeding process creates a new variety with optimized parameter combinations that differ from both parents.
3Reliability
If traditional cherry varieties are used, then they have established hardiness, but they lack extended maturity and large fruit size combination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by maintaining hardiness as a baseline characteristic while introducing superior local traits of large fruit size and extended maturity in specific growing regions. The new variety is optimized for particular climatic zones (USDA zones 7-10) while retaining the fundamental hardiness needed for reliable growth.
Data Source
AI summary
A new and distinct variety of cherry tree. The following features of the tree and its fruit are characterized with the tree budded on ‘Mahaleb’ Rootstock (non-patented), grown on Handford sandy loam soil with Storie Index rating 95, in USDA Hardiness Zone 9, near Modesto, Calif., with standard commercial fruit growing practices, such as pruning, thinning, spraying, irrigation and fertilization. Its novelty consist of the following combination of desirable features:1. Vigorous, upright tree growth.2. Tree having a low winter chilling requirement.3. Heavy and regular production of large size fruit.4. Fruit with good flavor and eating quality.5. Fruit with good handling and shipping quality.