Raspberry Plant Named `AnnaMaria`

The new cultivar was developed from the hybridization of the selection `E39-3` (unpatented variety) as the seed parent with the selection `F164-3` (an unpatented variety) as the pollen parent. The parents were crossed in the Fall of 1992, whereafter fruit and seed were collected to produce seedlings for field planting in Watsonville, Calif. in 1992. The new cultivar was selected from these seedlings in August 1993 for its large fruit size, high productivity, and fruit flavor. The new cultivar has been grown and asexually propagated by in vitro shoot tip culture, root sucker division and root cuttings at the Cassin Ranch in Santa Cruz county, California, and has been shown to maintain the desired and distinguishing characteristics after propagation over several generations.

This invention provides a new and distinct cultivar of red raspberry plant named `AnnaMaria`. The new cultivar is botanically identified as Rubus idaeus L. The `AnnaMaria` cultivar produces a primocane crop which begins in mid July to early August and continues through November. The floricane crop begins in late April and continues through late June. Both the primocane and floricane yields are very high relative to other comparable cultivars. The fruit of `AnnaMaria` is large and firm and remains consistently so throughout its harvest period. The fruit of `AnnaMaria` is light red.

The accompanying photographs show typical specimens of the primocane fruit, leaves and shoot of the new cultivar, in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make in color illustrations of these characteristics.

FIG. 1 is a photograph of a primocane mature leaf and fruit.

FIG. 2 is a photograph of a primocane shoot and leaf.

The following detailed description of the new raspberry cultivar, `AnnMaria`, is based upon observations taken of plants and fruit grown in Watsonville, Calif. between 1994 and 1997, and is believed to apply to plants of the `AnnaMaria` cultivar grown in similar conditions of soil and climate elsewhere.

Throughout the specification, color names beginning with a small letter signify that the name of the color, as used in common speech, is aptly descriptive. Color names beginning with a capital letter and followers by an alphanumeric code designating the color according to The R.H.S. Colour Chart published by The Royal Horticultural Society of London, England. Color designations, descriptions, and other phenotypical descriptions may deviate from the stated values and descriptions depending upon variation in environmental, seasonal, climatic and cultural conditions.

Tables 1 and 2 present information on the plant and fruit characteristics of the new cultivar `AnnaMaria` compared with characteristics of the unpatented raspberry cultivars `Heritage`, `Summit` and `Amity`. The closest cultivars to `AnnaMaria` are `Amity` for its cropping cycle and `Summit` for its primocare production. Observations of the cultivars were taken under similar conditions.

The new variety is particularly characterized and distinguished from other cultivars listed in tables 1 and 2 by its high yielding capacity on both primocane and floricane crops, and large fruit size, firmness of the fruit and fruit flavor.

The fruit color of `AnnaMaria` is light red at harvest with little color change after harvest. Fruit of `AnnaMaria` is large, separates very easily from the receptacle and is of very good firmness at harvest.

`AnnaMaria` is distinguished from its pollen parent, `F164-3`, as having a higher yield and greater fruit firmness. `AnnaMaria` is distinguished from its seed parent, `E39-3`, by having a higher yield and fruit that is less firm.

In addition to the morphological description above, the new variety `AnnaMaria` has been analyzed to obtain an indication of its genetic makeup to provide further means to identify the new variety and distinguishing it from some other somewhat similar and/or related raspberry varieties. Specifically, leaf samples of `AnnaMaria` and the unpatented varieties `Heritage` and `Summit` were analyzed by electrophoresis for the isosozyme patterns of the enzymes phosphoglucoisomerase (PGI), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and phosphoglucomutase (PGM) using the procedure described by J.C. Cousineau and D.J. Donnelly, "Use of isoenzyme analysis to characterize raspberry cultivars and detect cultivar mislabeling", Hort Science 27:1023-1025 (1992). The results of the electrophoresis analysis are presented in Table 3 with the letters representing the cultivar banding pattern for each enzyme as designated in the above-identified article.

The cultivar is moderately susceptible to late leaf rust. Resistance is unknown to powdery mildew and root rots. Cold tolerance of the new cultivar has not been established. Post harvest fruit rot resistance is average in comparisons over many selections and varieties.