Mandarin Plant Named ‘mikanken16’

Common name: Mandarin.

Botanical classification: Citrus reticulata Blanco x Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck.

Variety denomination: ‘Mikanken16’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Mandarin, Citrus L., which has been given the variety denomination ‘Mikanken16’.

ORIGIN OF THE VARIETY

The parent varieties are ‘95-56-25’ (male parent) (not patented in the U.S.) and ‘Mikanken4’ (female parent) (not patented in the U.S.), respectively.

The variety was developed and propagated in Uwajima, Ehime, Japan.

The variety was reproduced asexually by vegetative reproduction by top grafting one-year-old scions on rootstocks, in Uwajima, Ehime, Japan. The name of the rootstock is ‘MIYAGAWAWASE’ (not patented).

In 2004, crossing the parent varieties and collecting seeds were grown in the next year.

In 2005, 2006 seedlings are grown.

In 2007, they were grafted on top of root stock.

In 2010, the first fruit was harvested and lines were primary selected.

In 2013, plants were secondary selected.

From 2012 to 2022 growing tests for their performance.

In 2023, breeding was completed with DUS status confirmed (distinct, uniform, and stable), whereby it was confirmed that the instant tree reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction, and the variety was named ‘Mikanken16’.

Cultivation of the variety does not require special conditions or treatments.

The variety is currently mainly intended for fruit production.

SUMMARY OF THE VARIETY

This new mandarin plant ‘Mikanken16’ has leave blades with no emargination at the tip, fruit with dark orange surface color (JHS color chart No. 1306), medium surface roughness, medium filling of the core, and medium to late maturity for consumption (typically April), that distinguish it notably from its female parent ‘Mikanken4’.

Also the fruit of ‘Mikanken16’ having no collar, no navel opening, and no polyembryony of seeds, as well as having medium surface roughness, medium filling of the core, and medium to late maturity for consumption (typically April), distinguishes it notably from comparative variety ‘Shiranuhi’ (not patented) and having no navel opening, and no polyembryony of seeds, as well as having dark orange surface color (JHS color chart No. 1306), medium surface roughness, and medium to late maturity for consumption (typically April), distinguishes it notably from comparative variety ‘Kiyomi’ (not patented).

Specifically, Table 1 below shows a comparison between the instant variety ‘Mikanken16’ and the female parent ‘Mikanken4’ as follows (evaluation based on averages):

TABLE 1

Comparison between ‘Mikanken16’ and ‘Mikanken4’

Female parent Present variety

‘Mikanken4’ ‘Mikanken16’

No. Characteristics States States

36 Leaf blade: emargination at tip Present Absent

99 Fruit surface: roughness Smooth Medium

109 Fruit: filling of core Absent or Medium

Very Sparse

127 Time of maturity of fruit for Late (May) Medium to

consumption Late (April)

A comparison with the male parent ‘95-56-25’ is not available because ‘95-56-25’ was an old breeding line, whose states of characteristics are unknown and for which there are no long living plant materials.

Table 2 below shows a comparison between the instant variety ‘Mikanken16’ and comparative varieties ‘Shiranuhi’ and ‘Kiyomi’ as follows (average evaluation):

TABLE 2

Comparison between ‘Mikanken16’ and

‘Shiranuhi’ and ‘Kiyomi’

Reference Reference Present

variety variety variety

‘Shiranuhi’ ‘Kiyomi’ ‘Mikanken16’

No. Characteristics States States States

87 Fruit: presence of Present Absent

collar

94 Fruit: presence of Occasion- Occasion- Absent

navel opening ally Present ally Present

97 Fruit surface: Medium Dark Orange

predominant Orange (JHS (JHS No.

color(s) No. 1605) 1306)

99 Fruit surface: Medium to Smooth to Medium

roughness Rough Medium

109 Fruit: filling of Absent or Medium

core Very Sparse

126 Seed: poly- Present Absent

embryony

127 Time of maturity Medium Medium Medium to

of fruit for (March) (March) Late (April)

consumption

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings, which are as nearly true as is reasonable possible to make in a color illustration of this type:

FIG. 1 is a color photograph showing a general view of an illustrative mandarin tree of the variety named ‘Mikanken16’ bearing fruits.

FIG. 2 is a color photograph showing flowers of ‘Mikanken16’.

FIG. 3 is a color photograph showing leaves of ‘Mikanken16’, together with leaves of comparative varieties ‘Kiyomi’, and ‘Shiranuhi’.

FIG. 4 is a color photograph showing fruits of ‘Mikanken16’.

FIG. 5 is a color photograph showing leaves of ‘Mikanken16’, together with leaves of female parent ‘Mikanken4’, illustrating the difference between the leaf blades, in that the leave blades of ‘Mikanken16’ have absent emargination at the tip instead of present emargination at the tip for ‘Mikanken4’.

FIG. 6 is a color photograph showing fruits of ‘Mikanken16’, together with fruits of comparative variety ‘Kiyomi’, illustrating the difference between the fruit surface predominant colors, in that the fruit surface predominant color of ‘Mikanken16’ is dark orange (JHS color chart No. 1306) instead of medium orange (JHS color chart No. 1605) for ‘Kiyomi’, and the difference between the fruit surface roughnesses, in that the fruit surface roughness of ‘Mikanken16’ is medium instead of smooth to medium for the fruit of ‘Kiyomi’.

FIG. 7 is a color photograph showing the transverse section of a fruit of ‘Mikanken16’ together with a fruit of female parent ‘Mikanken4’, illustrating the difference between the filling of the core, in that the fruit of ‘Mikanken16’ has medium filling of the core, instead of absent or very sparse filling of the core for the fruit of ‘Mikanken4’.

Due to chemical and/or digital development, processing and printing, the plants or portions of plants depicted in the photographs may or may not be precisely accurate, when compared to the actual botanical specimens.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Table 3 shows the botanical description of the ‘Mikanken16’ plants evaluated in 2022 (including the comparison with the reference plants ‘KIYOMI’ and ‘SHIRANUI’). Values as provided are averages. The ages of the trees evaluated was 6 years, and the location of the trees evaluated was in Uwajima, Ehime, Japan.

The ‘Mikanken16’ plants shown on the photographs were grown at Uwajima, Ehime, Japan. The plants were 3-year grown trees after top grafting. The tree was photographed on Dec. 7, 2016, the flowers were photographed on May 7, 2016, the mature leaves photographed on Jul. 26, 2016 and the fruits were photographed on Mar. 23, 2017.

Colors are given according to the J.H.S. (Japan Horticultural Society) Color Chart.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

TABLE 3

Botanical description of ‘Mikanken16’

No. Characteristics States Values

1 Ploidy Diploid

2 Tree: growth habit Spreading

3 Tree's vigor Strong

4 Tree's density of canopy Medium

5 Tree's mature height 2.75 m

6 Tree's mature spread 2.95 m

7 Tree's trunk diameter at a 52.3 mm

specified height above ground at 10 cm

above grafting

area

8 Tree's bark texture Rough

9 Tree's bark color Green brown JHS color

chart No. 2509

10 Branch length 12.6 cm

11 Branch diameter 2.8 mm

12 Branch crotch angle 50°

13 Branch bark texture Smooth

14 Branch bark color Dark yellow JHS color

green chart No.3508

15 Tree: density of spines Intermediate

16 Number of spines 2.1

17 Total leaf bearing nodes 6.5

18 Location of spines On branches

19 Length of spines 1.7 mm

20 Spine diameter 0.5 mm

21 Spine shape conical

22 Spine color Dark yellow JHS color

green chart No. 3508

23 Leaf type Individual

leaf

24 Leaf blade: length (apical leaflet Medium 7.3 cm

in case of compound leaf)

25 Leaf blade: width (apical leaflet Medium 4.3 cm

in case of compound leaf)

26 Leaf blade: ratio length/width Very small 1.7

(apical leaflet in case of com-

pound leaf)

27 Leaf blade: shape in cross section Intermediate:

(apical leaflet in case of com- curved

pound leaf) inwards

28 Leaf blade: twisting Intermediate

29 Leaf blade: blistering Absent or

Weak

30 Leaf blade: color Medium JHS color

green chart No.3509

31 Leaf or leaflet: color of upper Dark yellow JHS color

leaf surface green chart No.3509

32 Leaf or leaflet: color lower Dark yellow JHS color

leaf surface green chart No.3507

33 Leaf blade: undulation of margin Absent or

Weak

34 Leaf blade: incisions of margin Crenate

35 Leaf blade: shape of apex Acute

36 Leaf blade: emargination at tip Absent

37 Single or compound leaves? Single leaf

38 Base descriptor of leaf and/or Acute

leaflet

39 Texture of top surface of leaf Smooth

and/or leaflet

40 Texture of bottom surface of Smooth

leaf and/or leaflet

41 Petiole: length Medium 1.9 cm

42 Petiole diameter 1.9 mm

43 Petiole texture (both surfaces) smooth

44 Petiole color (both surfaces) Dark yellow JHS color

green chart No.3509

45 Petiole: presence of wings Present

46 Petiole wing shape Vestigial

47 Petiole wing length 8.0 mm

48 Petiole wing texture (both Smooth

surfaces)

49 Petiole wing color (both sur- Upper and JHS color

faces) lower: chart No.

dark yellow 3508 (upper),

green 3509 (lower)

50 Varieties with petiole wings Narrow 2.0 mm

present only: Petiole: width of

wings

51 Flower: length of petal Medium 18.4 mm

52 Flower: width of petal Very Broad 8.3 mm

53 Flower: ratio length/ width of Small 2.2

petal

54 Flower: length of stamens — 10.3 mm

55 Flower depth 2.2 cm

56 Flower diameter 3.5 cm

57 Petal number per flower 5

58 Petal shape Spindle-

shaped

59 Petal apex Acute to

obtuse

60 Petal margin Slightly

curved

61 Petal base descriptors Truncate

62 Petal color (both surfaces) White (both JHS color

side) chart No. 3301

63 Sepal number per flower 5

64 Sepal shape Lanceolate

65 Sepal apex Acute

66 Sepal color (both surfaces) Light yellow JHS color

green (both chart No. 3304

side)

67 Pistil number per flower 1

68 Stigma color Light yellow

69 Stigma style Round

70 Stigma length 0.2 mm

71 Stigma color Bright orange JHS color

yellow chart No. 2205

72 Anther: color Medium JHS color

yellow chart No. 2203

73 Anther: viable pollen Low (>14 ≤ 21%)

74 Amount of pollen produced Very few

75 Infructescence: clustering of Present

fruits

76 Number of fruits per cluster 1

77 Fruit: length Long 7.7 cm

78 Fruit: diameter Large 8.7 cm

79 Fruit: ratio length/diameter Medium 1.13

80 Fruit: position of broadest part At Middle

81 Fruit: shape in transverse section Circular

82 Fruit: general shape of proximal Flattened

part (excluding neck, collar and

depression at stalk end)

83 Fruit: presence of neck Absent

84 Fruit: presence of depression at Present

stalk end

85 Fruit: depth of depression at Shallow 2.5 mm

stalk end

86 Fruit: presence of constriction at Absent

stalk end

87 Fruit: presence of collar Absent

88 Fruit: general shape of distal Flattened

part (excluding nipple, bulging

of navel and depression at

distal end)

89 Fruit: presence of depression at Present

distal end

90 Fruit: depth of depression at Shallow 1.7 mm

distal end

91 Fruit: presence of areola Absent

92 Fruit: diameter of stylar scar Very small 1.4 mm

93 Fruit: persistence of style None

94 Fruit: presence of navel opening Absent

95 Fruit: presence of radial grooves Absent

at distal end

96 Fruit: expression of radial Absent or

grooves at distal end Very Weak

97 Fruit surface: predominant Dark orange JHS color

color(s) chart No. 1306

98 Fruit surface: glossiness Medium

99 Fruit surface: roughness Medium

100 Fruit surface: diameter of oil All about the 1.5 mm

glands same diameter

101 Fruit rind: adherence to flesh Weak

102 Fruit rind: strength Weak

103 Fruit rind: conspicuousness of Absent or

oil glands on inner surface Weakly

Conspicuous

104 Fruit rind thickness 3.5 mm

105 Fruit rind ease of peeling Somewhat

easy

106 Fruit: color of albedo Light yellow JHS color

chart No. 1905

107 Fruit: density of albedo Medium

108 Fruit: main color of flesh Dark orange JHS color

chart No. 1306

109 Fruit: filling of core Medium

110 Fruit: presence of rudimentary Absent or

segments Very Weak

111 Number of segments per fruit 12

112 Fruit: strength of segment walls Medium

113 Fruit; conspicuousness of juice Medium

vesicle walls

114 Fruit: presence of navel (viewed Absent or

internally) Very Rare

115 Fruit: juiciness High

116 Fruit juice: total soluble solids High 13.1 Brix

117 Fruit juice: acidity Medium 1.02

118 Juice sac length 8.4 mm

119 Juice sac width 2.8 mm

120 Juice color Dark orange JHS color

chart No. 1306

121 Fruit: strength of fiber Medium

122 Fruit: number of seeds (con- Absent or 0

trolled manual self-pollination) Very Few

123 Fruit: number of seeds (open Absent or 0

pollination) Very Few

124 Fruit weight 233.21 g

125 Fruit productivity: amount of 35 kg/

fruit produced per tree per tree

season

126 Seed: polyembryony Absent

127 Time of maturity of fruit for Medium to April

consumption Late

128 Fruit: parthenocarpy Present

129 Plant: self-incompatibility Present

Other features of the plant are as follows:

• Disease and pest resistance: Normal resistance was observed for pests and diseases in Uwajima, Ehime, Japan. • Tree hardiness: USDA Hardiness Zone 9a-9b (until −3° C.). • Fruit shipability: Medium. • Fruit storageability: Medium.