Spring Fire Nectarine Tree Low Chilling Requirement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing nectarine and peach tree varieties lack a combination of desirable traits such as large, firm fruit with attractive red skin color, early maturity, and low winter chilling requirements, which are essential for optimal growth and fruit production in specific climatic conditions.
Innovation Solution
A new nectarine tree variety (Prunus persica var. nucipersica) is developed through asexual reproduction using proprietary seedlings '202LK334' and '58ZA724', exhibiting vigorous growth, regular bearing, and fruit characteristics like larger size, firmer flesh, and attractive red skin color, with a low winter chilling requirement of approximately 300 hours at or below 45° F, achieved by budding to 'Nemaguard' Rootstock.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing nectarine and peach tree varieties are used, then traditional growth patterns are maintained, but they lack the combination of large fruit size, firm flesh, attractive red skin color, early maturity, and low winter chilling requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by developing a new nectarine variety with modified physiological parameters including reduced winter chilling requirements (approximately 300 hours at or below 45° F.) and altered fruit development characteristics. This enables the tree to adapt to warmer climatic conditions while maintaining reliable production of large, firm fruit with attractive red skin color and early maturity.
2Manufacturing precision
If new variety 'spring fire' is developed through asexual reproduction, then fruit size, firmness, and red skin color are improved, but breeding time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs copying through asexual reproduction methods to replicate the superior fruit characteristics of the new variety. By propagating the selected plant through vegetative means, the exact genetic combination producing large, firm fruit with attractive red skin color is copied precisely, ensuring consistent fruit quality without requiring complex repeated breeding operations.
3Productivity
If fruit ripening is accelerated to early maturity season, then market timing is improved, but fruit development time is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves accelerated ripening by changing the genetic parameters of the nectarine variety. The new variety 'spring fire' is bred with modified developmental timing parameters that enable early maturity season ripening while maintaining adequate fruit development duration for proper size, firmness, and color development.
Data Source
AI summary
A new and distinct variety of nectarine tree. The following features of the tree and its fruit are characterized with the tree budded on ‘Nemaguard’ 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. Having a low winter chilling requirement of approximately 300 hours at or below 45° F.3. Fruit ripening in the early maturity season.4. Fruit with a high degree of attractive red skin color.5. Heavy and regular production of large size fruit.6. Firm, yellow flesh with very good flavor and eating quality.