Methods for breeding short celery

Abstract

The present invention relates to a celery plant (Apium graveolens L. dulce) carrying a genetic trait that leads to a shorter petiole and a shorter total plant length at mature harvest stage as compared to a celery plant not carrying the said genetic trait, wherein said genetic trait is as present in the genome of plants grown from seed of which a representative sample was deposited with the NCIMB under accession number NCIMB 41902.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing an  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant that is shorter than 37 cm at mature harvest stage, comprising:
 (a) crossing an  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant comprising a gene that leads to an  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant that is shorter than 37 cm and is present in seed deposited as NCIMB 41902, with another  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant that is not shorter than 37 cm at mature harvest stage;   (b) crossing the F1 with itself or with another  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant; and   (c) selecting in the F2 or in a subsequent generation for an  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant that is shorter than 37 cm.   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of
 (d) performing one to ten additional rounds of selfing or crossing, and subsequently selecting for an  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant that is shorter than 37 cm.   
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant comprising a gene that leads to an  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant that is shorter than 37 cm is a plant grown from seed having been deposited with the NCIMB under accession number 41902. 
     
     
         4 . A method for producing an  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  F1 variety that is shorter than 37 cm at mature harvest stage comprising crossing of a first parent plant produced by the method of  claim 1  with a second, different parent plant produced by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         5 . A method for producing an  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant that is shorter than 37 cm at mature harvest stage, comprising:
 (a) crossing an  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  parent plant comprising a gene that leads to an  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant that is shorter than 37 cm and is present in seed deposited as NCIMB 41902, with another  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  parent plant that is not shorter than 37 cm at mature harvest stage;   (b) backcrossing the F1 with the preferred parent; and   (c) selecting in the F2 for an  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant that is shorter than 37 cm.   
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 5 , further comprising the step of
 (d) performing one to ten additional rounds of selfing or crossing, and subsequently selecting for an  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant that is shorter than 37 cm.   
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant comprising a gene that leads to an  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant that is shorter than 37 cm is a plant grown from seed having been deposited with the NCIMB under accession number 41902. 
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the preferred parent is a plant grown from an  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant that is shorter than 37 cm, representative seed of which was deposited as NCIMB 41902. 
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the preferred parent is a plant grown from seed having been deposited as NCIMB 41902. 
     
     
         10 . A method for producing an  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  F1 variety that is shorter than 37 cm at mature harvest stage comprising crossing of a first parent plant produced by the method of  claim 5  with a second, different parent plant produced by the method of  claim 5 . 
     
     
         11 . A method for producing a hybrid  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant, comprising crossing a first  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  parent plant with a second  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  parent plant, wherein the first and/or the second parent  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant is a plant that is shorter than 37 cm at mature harvest stage, representative seed of which was deposited as NCIMB 41902, and selecting for a plant that is shorter than 37 cm at mature harvest stage as being a plant of the invention. 
     
     
         12 . The method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the first and/or the second parent  Apium graveolens  L.  dulce  plant is a plant grown from seed having been deposited as NCIMB 41902.