NCORNSP-012EMLC

Sweet Potato

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Sweet Caroline Light Green'

Summary: The leaf blade of 'NCORNSP-012EMLC' is wider than the leaf blade of 'Sweet Caroline Light Green'. The terminal leaf lobe is narrower for 'NCORNSP-012EMLC' than for 'Sweet Caroline Light Green'. The leaf of 'NCORNSP-012EMLC' is palmately lobed while the leaf of 'Sweet Caroline Light Green' is tri-lobed. The leaf of 'NCORNSP-012EMLC' has very deep lobes while the leaf of 'Sweet Caroline Light Green' has shallow to medium lobes. The lower side of the leaf blade of 'NCORNSP-012EMLC' has no anthocyanin colouration on the midrib while the lower side of the leaf blade of 'Sweet Caroline Light Green' has strong anthocyanin on the lower part of the midrib.

Description:

PLANT: upright bushy growth habit becoming trailing with age, medium to many branches, dense foliage
STEM: light green, no anthocyanin colouration, sparse to medium pubescence, medium thickness, smooth shape

LEAF: opposite arrangement, simple, palmately lobed, acuminate apex, cordate base, lobes very deep, pubescence on upper side ranging from absent or very sparse to sparse, pubescence on lower side absent to sparse, no variegation, upper side light green (RHS 144B), lower side light green (RHS 145B-C)
PETIOLE: strong anthocyanin colouration where petiole meets base of leaf blade.

Origin & Breeding History: The variety 'NCORNSP-012EMLC' originated from a conventional cross made at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA between October 2004 and April 2005. The female parent was a proprietary cultivar designated NC2591-002ORN and the male parent was a proprietary cultivar designated NC2279-001ORN. The resultant seed was harvested and planted in greenhouse trials in the last week of January 2005. The first cycle of selection was conducted on this seedling population for visual characteristics 4-6 weeks after germination. The selections were transferred to pots in a greenhouse to serve as virus-free source plants for future plantings. Two to three node cuttings of each source plant were taken in late April 2005 and transferred to rooting flats. These cuttings were planted in field trials during June and July of 2005 at the Horticultural Crops Research Station in Clinton, North Carolina. The new variety, 'NCORNSP-012EMLC' was selected as a single plant on September 1, 2005, based on a combination of characteristics including plant growth habit and vigour, and foliage colour, shape and orientation.

Tests & Trials: The trial of 'NCORNSP-012EMLC' was conducted in a polyhouse during the spring of 2010 in St. Thomas, Ontario. It included 15 plants of each variety. All plants were grown from rooted cuttings transplanted into 15 cm pots on April 30, 2010. Observations and measurements were taken from 10 plants or parts of plants of each variety on June 3, 2010. All colour determinations were made using the 2007 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart.

Comparison tables for 'NCORNSP-012EMLC' with reference variety 'Sweet Caroline Light Green'

Leaf blade width (cm)

Terminal lobe width (cm)

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Sweet Potato: 'NCORNSP-012EMLC' (left) with reference variety 'Sweet Caroline Light Green' (right)

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Sweet Potato: 'NCORNSP-012EMLC' (left) with reference variety 'Sweet Caroline Light Green' (right)