Guelph Equinox
| Denomination: | 'Guelph Equinox' |
|---|---|
| Previously Proposed Denomination: | 'UG020' |
| Botanical Name: | Asparagus officinalis |
| Applicant/Holder: |
University of Guelph Research Innovation Office Building #92, 50 Stone Road East Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada |
| Breeder: |
David Wolyn, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario |
| Application Date: | 2015-12-15 |
| Provisional Protection:: | 2015-12-15 |
| Application Number: | 15-8776 |
| Grant of Rights Date: | 2017-12-07 |
| Certificate Number: | 5590 |
| Grant of Rights Termination Date: | 2037-12-07 |
Variety Description
Varieties used for comparison: 'Guelph Evolution', 'Guelph Eclipse', 'Guelph Millennium' and 'Gijnlim'
Summary: 'Guelph Equinox' has a medium to high frequency of plants with one or more androhermaphrodite flowers whereas 'Guelph Evolution' has a low to medium frequency, 'Guelph Eclipse' has a very low frequency, and 'Gijnlim' and 'Guelph Millennium' have a high to very high frequency of plants with one or more androhermaphrodite flowers. The first bracts at the base of the apex of the spear of 'Guelph Equinox' are shorter than the first bracts at the base of the apex of the spear of 'Guelph Evolution', 'Guelph Eclipse', and 'Gijnlim'. 'Guelph Equinox' has medium dense phylloclades whereas 'Guelph Eclipse' and 'Gijnlim' have dense phylloclades. When fully extended, the stem of 'Guelph Equinox' is taller than that of the reference varieties. At ground level, the stem of 'Guelph Equinox' is smaller in diameter than the stem of 'Guelph Eclipse'.
Description:
PLANT: medium dense phylloclades, medium intensity of green foliage, many stems, androhermaphrodite flowers and/or male flowers with style rudiments are present, plants with androhermaphrodite flowers occur at a medium to high frequency
SPEAR: early emergence
SPEAR APEX: medium triangular shape, anthocyanin colouration present, equal in diameter compared to middle of stem
BRACTS: adpressed, closed to weakly open
FLOWERING: begins early in the season
Origin & Breeding History: The male asparagus hybrid 'Guelph Equinox' (experimental number UG020) is produced by crossing a female clone and a supermale clone. The intial cross was made at the University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario in 2004. The female parent was a plant selected from an open-pollinated asparagus variety. The supermale parent was selected in 2003 from an experimental asparagus hybrid after two generations of selfing. Selection criteria for 'Guelph Equinox' included high marketable yield, resistance to foliar diseases and longevity of years of harvest. The hybrid was also selected for long, smooth spears with tight tips and uniform spear diameter.
Tests & Trials: The comparative trials for 'Guelph Equinox' were conducted at the Simcoe Research Station, Simcoe, Ontario in 2015 and 2016. There were two replicated plots for each variety of 'Guelph Equinox', 'Guelph Evolution', 'Guelph Eclipse', 'Guelph Millennium', and 'Gijnlim'. Each plot contained twenty crowns spaced 30 cm apart with a distance between rows of 1.25 metres. Mean differences are significant at the 5% probability level based on a paired Student's t-test.
Comparison tables for 'Guelph Equinox' with reference varieties 'Guelph Evolution', 'Guelph Eclipse', 'Guelph Millennium' and 'Gijnlim'
Length of first bracts at base of apex of spear (cm)
| 'Guelph Equinox' | 'Guelph Evolution' | 'Guelph Eclipse' | 'Guelph Millennium' | 'Gijnlim' | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mean 2015 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| std. deviation | 0.16 | 0.19 | 0.14 | 0.19 | 0.18 |
| number measured | 36 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 37 |
| mean 2016 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.3 |
| std. deviation | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.18 | 0.13 | 0.18 |
| number measured | 36 | 38 | 38 | 40 | 38 |
Maximum length of fully extended stem (cm)
| 'Guelph Equinox' | 'Guelph Evolution' | 'Guelph Eclipse' | 'Guelph Millennium' | 'Gijnlim' | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mean 2015 | 155.9 | 140.5 | 141.4 | 146.9 | 141.8 |
| std. deviation | 15.58 | 16.01 | 18.04 | 19.51 | 24.42 |
| number measured | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 38 |
| mean 2016 | 199.8 | 182.2 | 186.3 | 195.5 | 190.9 |
| std. deviation | 17.58 | 15.07 | 28.84 | 17.60 | 28.00 |
| number measured | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 38 |
Diameter of stem at ground level (cm)
| 'Guelph Equinox' | 'Guelph Evolution' | 'Guelph Eclipse' | 'Guelph Millennium' | 'Gijnlim' | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mean 2015 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| std. deviation | 0.14 | 0.17 | 0.39 | 0.20 | 0.21 |
| number measured | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 38 |
| mean 2016 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 |
| std. deviation | 0.22 | 0.16 | 0.14 | 0.37 | 0.33 |
| number measured | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 38 |
Click on image for larger view
Asparagus: 'Guelph Equinox' (bottom right) with reference varieties 'Gijnlim' (top left), 'Guelph Eclipse' (top right), 'Guelph Millennium' (bottom left) and 'Guelph Evolution' (centre bottom)
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