44. Volume 15- Number 2 - IP Australia

PLANT VARIETIES JOURNAL 2002 VOL 15 NO. 2
Prior Applications and Sales
Country Year Current Status Name Applied
New Zealand 2001 Granted ‘Choice’
No prior sales.
Description: Jeff E. Miller, AgResearch Grasslands, Palmerston North,
New Zealand.
‘Puna II’
Application No: 2002/012 Accepted: 4 Mar 2002.
Applicant: AgResearch Limited, Palmerston North, New
Zealand.
Agent: Denis McGrath, Drumcondra,VIC.
Characteristics (Table 16, Figure 57) Young plant
anthocyanin: absent. Plant: habit spreading, height medium.
Head: formation present, intensity of head formation weakmedium,
length medium, diameter small-medium, shape in
longitudinal section ovate, main colour of outer leaves
green-red, anthocyanin colouration of outer leaves absent.
Stem: formation at harvest maturity present, degree of
branching medium, presence of anthocyanin present, degree
of anthocyanin high, type of anthocyanin distribution
spotted and diffused. Leaf: attitude semi erect, length (at
harvest maturity) long, width (at harvest maturity) mediumbroad,
shape spatulate-obovate, colour (excluding midrib)
yellow-green (RHS 144A-C), intensity of colour (excluding
midrib) medium, glossiness strong, colour of midrib greenred,
anthocyanin colouration at harvest maturity absent,
blistering absent or very weak-weak, undulation of margin
absent or very weak, depth of incisions of margins absent or
very weak, type of incision of margins dentate-serrate.
Flower: colour predominately blue (RHS 100A-B), ~ 5%
purple-pink (RHS 76B). Time of harvest maturity: mediumlate.
Post harvest bolting: ~5%. (Note: all RHS numbers
refer to 1988 edition)
Origin and Breeding Selection and controlled polycross:
from 1992 to 1994 selections were made within ‘Grasslands
Puna’ for greater uniformity. In 1995, 1000 spaced plants
from the uniform selection were used to select plants with
high levels of lactucin/lactucopicrin in leaves. The plants
thus selected were then inter-pollinated in isolation and a
further two more generations of selection for high levels
were completed in 1996 and 1997. Seed from the last
isolation was blended with seed from a population of
‘Grasslands Puna’ that had been simultaneously selected for
high tolerance to Sclerotinia sclerotorium and S. minor over
four generations from 1993 to 1996. During 1997 and 1998,
this combined population was selected for uniformity, and
also for a stable low percentage of plants carrying all-pink
flowers. ‘Grasslands Puna’ differs from ‘Puna II’ by having
a non-uniform leaf shape and habit, higher levels of lactucin
and lower levels of cool season growth and no pink flowers.
The pink flower population of ‘Puna II’ at ~5% was a
deliberate strategy to enable ready identification between
this variety and a similar variety bred for the dairy industry
where lactucin levels are of significance. Selection criteria:
greater uniformity, lactucin levels and disease resistance.
Propagation: seed. Breeder: Dr W (Bill) Rumball,
AgResearch Grasslands, Palmerston North. New Zealand.
Choice of Comparators ‘Grasslands Puna’ was included as
a comparator as the source of breeding material. ‘INIA Le
Lacerta’ was included as a variety of common knowledge.
‘Choice’ was included as it has similar morphological
features. No other similar varieties have been identified.
Comparative Trial Location: AgResearch Grasslands
Research Centre, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
(Latitude 40º23′S, elevation 33m) autumn 2000 through
autumn 2001. Conditions: plants raised from seed sown in
seed flats on 8/6/2000 in controlled glasshouse environment
Trays placed in open environment for hardening off on
3/7/2000 and planted in trial site G8 at 60cm between plant
spacing on 17/8/00. A further 60 plants of each variety were
potted on 17/10/2000 in PB5 planter bags filled with potting
mix and placed in unheated open ended shade house and
removed to open air on 31/10/2000 for leaf character
assessments. No herbicide, insecticide or fungicides applied
to plants. No fertiliser applied. Molluscicide in the form of
Mesurol pellets applied shortly after planting. Weed control
of field plots by hand weeding and inter-row application of
‘Buster’ herbicide at recommended knapsack rate. Trial
design: field trial design randomised complete block of 10
replicates of 10 plants of each variety. Pots arranged in 5
blocks of 12 plants of each variety in randomised order.
Measurements: from all available plants in the field and
pots. Resistance to Sclerotinia spp. from inoculated plants
in controlled glasshouse environment and field survival
counts two years later. Inoculation and assessments by Dr
Bob Skipp, plant pathologist, AgResearch Grasslands.
Lactucin and lactucopicrin levels determined by
competitive Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assays
(ELISA) conducted by R. Keogh at AgResearch Grasslands
after the method described by A.M. Peters et al. in
Production and Characterisation of Polyclonal Antibodies
against the Bitter Sesquiterpene Lactones of Chicory
(Cichorium intybus L.) J. Agric. Food Chem.,1996, 44,
No.11, 3611-3615.
Prior Applications and Sales
Country Year Current Status Name Applied
New Zealand 2001 Granted ‘Puna II’
No prior sales.
Description: Jeff E. Miller, AgResearch Grasslands, Palmerston North,
New Zealand.
Table 16 Cichorium varieties
‘Puna II’ ‘Choice’ *‘Grass- *‘INIA Le
lands Lacerta’
Puna
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LEAF MIDRIB COLOUR %
Whitish 7 12 5 12
Green 42 66 41 76
Red 51 22 54 12
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LEAF ATTITUDE AT MATURITY
semi erect semi erect variable erect
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LEAF LENGTH AT MATURITY
long long medium short
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LEAF SHAPE
spatulate- narrow elliptic- linearobovate
elliptic ovate lanceolate
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