Narrative
CHICORY
'INIA Le Lacerta'
Application No: 1999/028 Accepted: 4 Jul 2001.
Applicant: Instituto Nacional de Investigacion Agropecuaria (INIA), Colonia, Uruguay .
Agent: Valley Seeds Pty Ltd, Alexandra, VIC.
Characteristics Plant: growth habit erect, diameter small, height at vegetative stage tall. Stem: height tall, pubescence weak, fasciation absent, branching semi-erect, stipule shape elliptic. Leaf: attitude erect, incurving of distal part absent or very weak, length long, maximum width medium, shape obovate, colour only green, intensity of green colour light, shape in cross section concave incision absent, margin dentations weak, margin undulations weak, leaf base width broad, blistering absent, base of midrib colour white, anthocyanin colouration absent. Flower: colour blue, time of flowering medium. Head: length long, maximum diameter small, shape in longitudinal section elliptic, shape of apex pointed, colour of leaf blade green.
Origin and Breeding Open pollination: 20,000 plants of a local chicory ecotype in Uruguay were sown in rows, and kept under cutting simulating grazing. After 3 years (1986) 120 plants were selected for growth habit, leaf type and lateness in stem elongation. These 120 plants were transplanted and allowed to pollinate freely in isolation, under bee cages (1987). The comparison of the first three seed generations showed that morphological characteristics such as leaf type, leaf midrib pigmentation, growth habit, stem pigmentation and flowering date are stable. Those same characteristics have been observed in plants grown in Victoria, Australia. Selection criteria: forage production. Propagation: by seed. Breeder: Instituto Nacional de Investigacion Agropecuaria (INIA), Colonia, Uruguay .
Choice of Comparators The grouping characteristics used in identifying the most similar varieties of common knowledge were - Leaf shape: obovate, Stem: fasciation absent, attitude of branches semi-erect, shape of stipule elliptic, Flower: colour blue. Based on these characteristics 'Grasslands Puna' was selected as the comparator. The parental ecotype from Uruguay was excluded because it has deeply spicate leaves, which could be easily differentiated from the obovate leaves of the candidate variety. The margin dentation is also very strong in the parental ecotype where as it is very weak in the candidate variety.
Comparative Trials The description is based on overseas data sourced from Uruguay. The overseas data was verified by the QP under Australian conditions. The Australian trial was grown in Victoria in 2001.
Prior Applications and Sales
Country Year Current Status Name Applied
Uruguay 1994 Granted 'INIA Le Lacerta'
Argentina 1995 Granted 'INIA Le Lacerta'
USA 1996 Withdrawn 'INIA Le Lacerta'
South Africa 1999 Granted 'INIA Lacerta'
First sold in Uruguay in Mar 1996. First Australian sale nil.
Description: Ian Aberdeen, Kilmore, VIC.
Cichorium varieties
_________________________________________________________________
'INIA Le Lacerta' *'Grasslands Puna'
_________________________________________________________________
PLANT
growth habit erect semi-erect
diameter small medium
vegetative height tall medium
_________________________________________________________________
LEAF
attitude erect semi-erect
incurving of distal part absent absent
shape obovate obovate
length long medium
colour green green
intensity of green colour light dark
leaf incisions absent present
margin dentation weak strong
leaf base width broad broad
colour of base of midrib white pink
_________________________________________________________________
STEM
height tall medium
pubescence weak weak
fasciation absent absent
attitude of branches semi-erect semi-erect
shape of stipules elliptic elliptic
_________________________________________________________________
FLOWER
colour blue blue
time of flowering medium late