Sweet Cott 3

Tangerine

Note: The applicant has requested an exemption from compulsory licensing to allow time to multiply and distribute propagating material of the variety. If the exemption is granted, it may be allowed for two years from the date rights are granted for the variety.

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'US-Furr/SRA 337'

Summary: The average number of seeds per fruit for ‘Sweet Cott 3' is less than 1 seed, whereas it is greater than 15 seeds for ‘US-Furr/SRA 337'. The fruit size of ‘Sweet Cott 3' is medium whereas that of ‘US-Furr/SRA 337' is large. In the Northern Hemisphere, the time of maturity of ‘Sweet Cott 3' is late March to late April whereas that of ‘US-Furr/SRA 337' is late November to late December. The post harvest conservation of fruit of ‘Sweet Cott 3' is long while it is medium to high for ‘US-Furr/SRA 337'.

Description:

TREE: upright growth habit, absent or sparse density of spines

PETIOLE: short, wings absent
LEAF BLADE: medium length and width, medium length to width ratio, straight or weakly concave in cross section, absent or weak twisting, absent or weak blistering, light green intensity, absent or weak undulation of margin, crenate incisions of margin, obtuse shaped apex, emargination at tip

FLOWER: medium diameter of calyx, medium length stamens
PETAL: long, medium width, medium length to width ratio
ANTHER: light yellow, low pollen viability
STYLE: medium length

INFRUCTESCENCE: clustering of fruits present
FRUIT: medium length and diameter, medium length to diameter ratio, broadest part at middle, circular in transverse section, proximal end slightly rounded, neck absent, no depression at stalk end, absent or few radial grooves at stalk end, collar absent, intermediate abscission layer between floral disk and fruit, flattened distal end with a depression of medium depth and medium diameter, complete presence of smooth and medium sized areola, small stylar scar, no persistence of style, absent or very rare presence of naval, absent naval opening, absent radial grooves at distal end, self compatible, parthenocarpic
FRUIT SURFACE: medium orange, strong glossiness, smooth
OIL GLANDS OF FRUIT SURFACE: all glands more or less the same size
FRUIT RIND: medium thickness, medium adherence to flesh, medium strength, medium oiliness, intermediate conspicuousness of oil glands on inner surface, light orange albedo, medium density of albedo, absent or very small amount of albedo adhering to flesh, small amount of albedo strands
FRUIT FLESH: dark orange, sparse filling of core, medium diameter of core, absent or weak presence of rudimentary segments, medium number of well developed segments, medium coherence of adjacent segment walls, strong segment walls, medium strength of fiber.
JUICE VESICLES: medium length, medium thickness, medium conspicuousness of walls, strong coherence, high juiciness
FRUIT JUICE: high level of total soluble solids, medium to high acidity
FRUIT MATURITY: late

SEED: absent or very few resulting from open pollination as well as controlled manual self pollination, polyembryonic, medium length and width, smooth surface, whitish external colour, medium brown inner coat

Origin & Breeding History: 'Sweet Cott 3' originated from gamma ray mutation induced selection program carried out by Qualiagro S.A. in Morocco. 'Sweet Cott 3' originated from the irradiation of buds of 'US-Furr/SRA 337' conducted in 2013. In 2017, 'Sweet Cott 3' was selected based on the very low levels of seeds in the fruit.

Tests & Trials: The detailed description of 'Sweet Cott 3' is based on the UPOV report of Technical Examination, reference number 742/17, purchased from the National Office of Food Safety (ONSSA) in Rabat, Morocco. The trials were grown at the experimental field of the Afourer estate in Beni-Mellal, Morocco from 2017 to 2021.

Click on image for larger view

Tangerine: 'Sweet Cott 3' (left) with reference variety 'US-Furr/SRA 337' (right)