Hochelaga

Lettuce

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Ithaca'

Summary: The shape of the leaf is circular for 'Hochelaga' while it is transverse broad elliptic for 'Ithaca'. 'Hochelaga' develops taller heads than 'Ithaca'. When cultivated during hot summer growing conditions, the leaves from the head of 'Hochelaga' are more resistant to rib discolouration than those of 'Ithaca'.

Description:

PLANT TYPE: closed head lettuce

SEEDLING: absent to very weak anthocyanin colouration, medium size cotyledons, elliptic cotyledons

LEAF: attitude is intermediate between semi-erect and semi-prostrate at the 10 to 12 leaf stage, medium in thickness, attitude is intermediate between semi-erect and semi-prostrate at harvest maturity, circular, green, moderate intensity of colour of outer leaves, no anthocyanin colouration, moderate to strong glossiness on inner side, concave profile of outer leaves, weak to moderate blistering, small blisters, lobed, moderate undulation of margin, shallow and dense incisions of margin, flabellate (fan shaped) venation

STEM AT FLOWERING: no fasciation, absent to very weak axillary sprouting

HEAD: strong degree of overlapping of upper part of leaves, dense, circular in longitudinal section, 57 days to beginning of bolting under long day conditions, 41 days to harvest maturity

SEED: black

Origin & Breeding History: 'Hochelaga' was developed from a cross between varieties 'Summertime' and 'Onondaga'. The cross took place in October of 1998 in the greenhouses of the Horticultural Research and Development Center in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec. F1 seeds were planted in greenhouses in December of 1998 and F2 seeds were collected and bulk massed in May of 1999. From 2000 to 2001, successive generations were grown and harvested at the Sainte-Clotilde experimental station and at a muck soil farm in Napierville, Québec. The selections from each were based on dark leaf colour, good head size, weight and firmness, good wrappers, slow bolting, low ribbiness, short stem and lack of symptoms of rib discolouration. In April of 2002, F6 seedlings designated 'X302-M-124-C-533-135' were transplanted in single plant progeny rows in the San Joaquin Valley for seed evaluation and multiplication. Single plants were selected and collected individually, the remainder of which were bulk massed after harvest in September of that year. F7 seedlings of 'X302-M-124-C-533-135' were transplanted and evaluated in field trials during the summer of 2004. In March of 2005, it was considered a new variety and became known as 'QSJ-01' and in 2006 as 'Hochelaga'.

Tests & Trials: The tests and trials for 'Hochelaga' were conducted at the Ferme JPL Guérin, in Sherrington, Québec during the summers of 2005 and 2006. Both the candidate and reference varieties were sown in the greenhouse and later transplanted into fields of organic soil. Each variety was planted in four randomly planted plots. The plots were composed of two rows spaced 35.5 cm and planted in mounds that were 14.6 metres long and 91 cm wide. Each plot contained 80 plants resulting in a total of 320 plants per variety. The plants were grown under normal conditions for cultivation with long days (photo period between 15 and 16 hours per day). The lettuce was harvested and evaluated at the time of optimal maturity during the last two weeks of July. All measured characteristics were based on measurements of 4 x 12 plants, for a total of 48 plants.

Comparison tables for 'Hochelaga' with reference variety 'Ithaca'

Data from 2005 and 2006 combined.

Head height (cm)

Plants showing symptoms of rib discolouration (%)

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Lettuce: 'Hochelaga' (left) with reference variety 'Ithaca' (right)

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Lettuce: 'Hochelaga' (left) with reference variety 'Ithaca' (right)

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Lettuce: 'Hochelaga' (left) with reference variety 'Ithaca' (right)