Description:
1995. Cross made in greenhouse of ‘Trickster’ X ‘Mini Jack’ with the goal of producing an F1 hybrid true to miniature pumpkin. By true miniature, meaning a pumpkin that resembles a large field pumpkin only in miniature (2-3 lbs.). Desired features include a vigorous bush habit, good exterior color, sutures, and a good handle. Features desired from Trickster include excellent deep orange exterior color, sutures and good handle. Features from Mini Jack include strong bush habit, very small fruit size, and good fruit shape. Field evaluation (Woodland, CA) of hybrid was good, but a greater reduction in size was deemed necessary to distinguish it from other existing small pumpkins.
1996. From above decision, the hybrid was backcrossed in the greenhouse to Mini Jack to reduce the size further. Field growout of BC1F1 showed good progress but need to segregate out various quality components mentioned above resulted in selfing of this line.
1997. BC1F2 generation put in large greenhouse. Progeny were segregating for vine size, fruit size, fruit color, fruit shape, handle size, and normal versus hulless or ‘naked’ seeds, a monogenic recessive (n). Out of the many selections, 97 GH 1-2 had the best color, shape and handle. Phenotype of seeds was normal (with seed coat). Note that the recessive allele n comes from the female Trickster. Field growout of BC1F3 revealed continues segregation for fruit size, shape, and normal versus naked seed. 97 F 1638 BS(bulk select)-1 had small size (avg. 2-3 lbs.), excellent fruit shape (deep globe or slightly oblong), best color and a mix of normal versus naked seeds. Bulk select constitutes a small or sub-bulk. The vigorous, yet compact bush habit appeared fixed from the single plant greenhouse selection made the previous generation.
1998. Field growout of BC1F4 resulted in selection of the most uniform sub-bulk of fruit that were now only segregating for fruit shape (rounded to oblong). The selected 98 F 1627 BS had uniformly deep globe fruit, excellent rind color and sutures, strong handle, and fixed naked or hulless seeds. Compact bush habit remained uniform and thus was fixed.
1999. Final breeder growout of BC1F5 shows all desired characters fixed including compact bush, small fruit size (2-3 lbs.), deep globe shape, solid orange rind color, sutures, good handle and naked seeds. 99 F 1651 BK (bulk) transferred to foundation seed department.
2000. First foundation seed growout shows this describes bulk as clearly the best most uniform. Hight yield is evident and this elite line will now be increased on a larger scale in cages to maintain purity.
2001. Final foundation increase seed of elite line now officially designated PUB 15-9006 shows excellent uniformity, yield and quality. This elite line will now be transferred to stockseed for further increases.
‘Mini Treat’ was determined to be uniform and stable within commercially acceptable limits. As is true with other pumpkins, a small percentage of variants can occur within commercially acceptable limits for almost any characteristic during the course of repeated manipulation. No variants are known to occur and to date this variety has been observed to be completely uniform and stable for 5 generations.