Four new INTA seedless table grape cultivars

Abstract

In the Table Grape Breeding Program developed at the Junín, Mendoza, Rama Caída and San Juan Agricultural Experimental Stations of the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), the cultivars Delicia INTA, Fernandina INTA, Serena INTA and Sorpresa INTA were obtained. In 2016 these cultivars were registered in the National Cultivar Registry of the Argentine National Seed Institute. In subsequent production cycles, prior to registration, organoleptic and agronomic characters and various management practices effects were assessed. Likewise, postharvest performance was analyzed to determine export potential. The cultivars produce berries of 18 to 22 mm diameter and of 20 to 27 mm length. Forty-five days after cold storage, they still show acceptable values of shattering, firmness and stem browning. Delicia INTA, a late-harvest, muscatel-flavored variety with pink berries, holds an advantage over pink Muscatel -widely known in Argentina- because it does not need the implantation of a pollinating variety and because it produces rudiments rather than normal seeds. Fernandina INTA and Sorpresa INTA open up the possibility of exporting black grapes. Sorpresa INTA stands out for the large size and unique flavor of its berries, while Fernandina INTA, a late harvest variety, does so due to its capacity to support a high crop load without losing quality. Serena INTA produces firm red grapes expanding the seasonal availability of this type of grapes as it is harvested before the Crimson Seedless variety.