Grapevine plant named ‘Big Bear’

Botanical name of the genus and species of the plant claimed:L.

Variety denomination: ‘Big Bear’.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Grapevine plant, botanically known asof the Family Vitaceae, and hereinafter referred to by the variety denomination ‘Big Bear’.

The new variety ‘Big Bear’ is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor Hanan Bazak, in Karmei Yossef, Gezer region in HaShephelah, Latitude 31.8480° N, Longitude 34.9213° E, Israel. The objective of the breeding program was to develop a newvariety with a large, seedless, early to medium ripening, easy detachable juicy berry with excellent slightly muscat taste and with low susceptibility to Grape Sour Rot.

The newvariety originated from a cross made by the inventor in 2012 in Karmei Yossef, Gezer region in HaShephelah, Israel. The female or seed parent is theown breeding line designated ‘H 1352’, (unpatented). The male or pollen parent is theown breeding line designated ‘H 8351’, (unpatented). The new‘Big Bear’ was observed and selected by the inventor within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in 2012 in Karmei Yossef, Gezer region in HaShephelah, Israel.

Asexual propagation of the newvariety by rooting of cuttings was first performed in 2018 and the final selection was made in 2024 in Karmei Yossef, Gezer region in HaShephelah, Israel, and has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new variety are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual propagation. The new variety propagates true-to-type.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be characteristics of ‘Big Bear’ which in combination distinguish this Grapevine plant as a new, unique and distinct variety:

In comparison to the parental varieties, ‘H 1352’ (unpatented) and ‘H 8351’ (unpatented) ‘Big Bear’ differs primarily in the traits listed in Table 1.

Of the many well-known commercial varieties known to the present inventor, the most similar in comparison to the new‘Big Bear’ is an unnamedgrapevine plant of the Thompson Seedless class (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,077), which differs from the new Grapevine ‘Big Bear’ in the characteristics described in Table 2:

The new‘Big Bear’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype of the new variety may vary with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, day length, soil or pruning without any change in the genotype of the Grapevine plant.

The afore mentioned photographs, together with the following observations, measurements and values describe plants of ‘Big Bear’ as grown in the vineyard in Karmei Yossef, Gezer region in HaShephelah, Israel—under conditions which closely approximate those generally used in commercial practice.

Unless otherwise stated, the detailed morphological description includes observations, measurements and values taken from 2012 to 2024 and based on 10-year-old ‘Big Bear’ plants grown in the vineyard in Karmei Yossef, Gezer region in HaShephelah, Israel. Quantified measurements are expressed as an average or a range of measurements taken from ten plants of ‘Big Bear’. The measurements of any individual plant, or any group of plants, of the new variety may vary from the stated average or range.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.), edition 1986, except where general colors of ordinary significance are used. Color values were taken under daylight conditions in full sunlight in Karmei Yossef, Gezer region in HaShephelah, Israel.

All the plants of ‘Big Bear’, insofar as they have been observed, have been consistent in all the characteristics described below.