Sugar Drop

[PhilaGardener]

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

My Sugar Drop plant looks to have antho in the stems/leaves but so far the fruit appears not to. None are rip yet but I will be taking some pics when they get that way. My seeds came from Marsha as well and the plants are loaded with fruits now so in a couple more weeks I should know how they turn out.

Noticeably darker leaves and stems on my seedlings too but this is the first time I have grown this variety.

Your plants are ahead of mine but I'm looking forward to tasting these!

[ginger2778]

This could be a spontaneous somatic mutation, like Yellow Riesentraube was one branch of yellow fruit on a red fruited regular Riesentraube plant. If it were segregating, the entire plant would all show the same fruit type.

I suspect your saved seeds from both will give you the same color fruits as they are now when grown out. If that's the case, then the orange mutation plant is yours to name! Now that's exciting.

[UFXEFU]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

This could be a spontaneous somatic mutation, like Yellow Riesentraube was one branch of yellow fruit on a red fruited regular Riesentraube plant. If it were segregating, the entire plant would all show the same fruit type.

I suspect your saved seeds from both will give you the same color fruits as they are now when grown out. If that's the case, then the orange mutation plant is yours to name! Now that's exciting.

Marsha,
Has anybody else reported red fruit on their Sugar Drops? I am saving seed from both red and yellow to grow next year. If the red fruit seed grow all red next year, will they be considered a new variety?

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by UFXEFU

Marsha,
Has anybody else reported red fruit on their Sugar Drops? I am saving seed from both red and yellow to grow next year. If the red fruit seed grow all red next year, will they be considered a new variety?

No one else has reported this. The somatic mutation is out of the question if you say you have 5 plants of this and they are all doing the orange thing. Now I think that its just more complete ripening. So no renaming needed.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

No one else has reported this. The somatic mutation is out of the question if you say you have 5 plants of this and they are all doing the orange thing. Now I think that its just more complete ripening. So no renaming needed.

I agree with Marsha.

If it were just one branch that had the red ones that would clearly indicate a somatic mutation, but you say you have both red and orange and red ones randomly all over a plant and you see the same with other plants as well.

In terms of genetic instability I'm not sure I even understand the random distribution of red and orange ones on a plant as being related to genetic instability but perhaps someone else here has some ideas about that.

Somatic mutations are very rare so it would not be reasonable to consider that the random red ones were due to individual somatic mutations, at least IMO/

Carolyn

[UFXEFU]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I agree with Marsha.

If it were just one branch that had the red ones that would clearly indicate a somatic mutation, but you say you have both red and orange and red ones randomly all over a plant and you see the same with other plants as well.

In terms of genetic instability I'm not sure I even understand the random distribution of red and orange ones on a plant as being related to genetic instability but perhaps someone else here has some ideas about that.
Carolyn,
Somatic mutations are very rare so it would not be reasonable to consider that the random red ones were due to individual somatic mutations, at least IMO/

Carolyn

Carolyn, I am not sure what I have, but the red fruit does not turn yellow as they get riper. I picked the fruit not really paying much attention as to where it was located or which plant it came from. While spread out on my table, I noticed the red fruit mixed in with the yellow. They taste the same to me. I am going to save seed and plant red seed plants in a different spot from the yellow. Then see what I get.