Seedless Table Grapes 2009 Update Judith Reith-Rozelle Assistant Superintendent University of Wisconsin, West Madison Agricultural Research Station 8502 Mineral Point Road Verona, WI

Seedless Table Grape Trials Third Year Trial Data: Variety/Cultivar performance Ripening Sequence Cluster weights Data collection/program for 2010 Data collection/program for 2010 Judith Reith-Rozelle Assistant Superintendent West Madison Agricultural Research Station

Seedless Table Grape Trial Design Non-Replicated Trial Established in June 2007 at West Madison Agricultural Research Station Fifteen Grape Cultivars Six Red Five Blue Four White Three plants each variety

Training Methods for Table Grapes Mid-wire Cordon with Vertical Shoot Positioning Photos – Selections at West Madison and Peninsular High Wire Cordon Concord Seedless Somerset Seedless Mars

Grape Vine Development Spring No bud or cane damage on 12 varieties - low temp ( -28 degrees) Bud damage Glenora Himrod Reliance June 10, Canadice May 11, Saturn

Fruit and Flower Formation Controlled development of all fruit/flower production: removed all flower clusters in 07 – 08 – Thinned flower clusters June 10, Saturn

Diseases/Insects Diseases in Select Cultivars: Diseases in Select Cultivars: Sprayed all vines following recommended schedule and chemicals Black Rot or Phomopsis - Marquis fruit/foliage Powdery Mildew - Glenora and Marquis Insect Pressure on Cultivars: Insect Pressure on Cultivars: Japanese Beetles Leaf Hoppers

Seedless Table Grape Varieties Reds Blues Canadice Concord Seedless Einset Glenora Reliance Mars Saturn Trollhaugen Somerset Seedless Venus Vanessa WhitesHimrodInterlakenLakemontMarquis Photos: UW – Madison, West Madison Agricultural Research Station Staff

Seedless Table Grape Varieties Red Seedless Non-slipskin Canadice (New York) Mid-Season - 9/2/09 Brix Fruit clusters compact Flesh crisp Flavor very spicy, sweet, complex Photos: UW – Madison, West Madison Agricultural Research Station Staff

Seedless Table Grape Varieties Red Seedless Einset (New York) Early-Season - 9/20/09 Brix Fruit clusters loose to open Flesh tender to firm Skin, thicker than other, nonslip Flavor very unique complex Photos: UW – Madison, West Madison Agricultural Research Station Staff

Seedless Table Grape Varieties Red Seedless Reliance (Arkansas) Mid-Season Limited fruit clusters Winter damage 2007 – vines froze to ground level Replanted in 2008, due to possible herbicide damage Photo: UW – Madison, West Madison Agricultural Research Station Staff

Seedless Table Grape Varieties Red Seedless Saturn (Arkansas) Early-Season - 9/10/09 Brix 17.1 Fruit clusters very open Pollination problem Flesh crisp Flavor very spicy Seeds developed 2009 Not small seed traces Photos: UW – Madison, West Madison Agricultural Research Station Staff Photo: Courtesy of New York State, Agricultural Research Station - Geneva

Seedless Table Grape Varieties Red Seedless Somerset Seedless (Elmer Swenson) Early-Season – 8/14/09 8/20/09 sweeter - Brix /2/09 extremely sweet – Brix 22.1 Fruit clusters open Flesh tender to firm Flavor spicy, complex Photos: UW – Madison, West Madison Agricultural Research Station Staff

Seedless Table Grape Varieties Red Seedless Vanessa (Ontario) Mid-Season - 9/2/09 Brix 16.3 Fruit clusters very compact Flesh crisp, firm Flavor very fruity, sweet, spicy No seed remnant Photos: UW – Madison, West Madison Agricultural Research Station Staff

Seedless Table Grape Varieties White Seedless Non slipskin Himrod (New York) Mid-Season No fruit 2009 Winter damage 2007 – vines froze to ground Struggled in 2008, due to possible herbicide damage on new growth Photo: Courtesy of New York State, Agricultural Research Station - Geneva

Seedless Table Grape Varieties White Seedless Interlaken (New York) Early-Season - 9/20/09 Brix Fruit clusters open Flesh crisp, firm Flavor very clean, sweet Photo: UW – Madison, West Madison Agricultural Research Station Staff

Seedless Table Grape Varieties White Seedless Lakemont (New York) Early-Season - 8/27/09 Brix 20.0 Fruit clusters loose, open Flesh melting, juicy Flavor very spicy, clean, honey like (sweeter and more complex than Interlaken) Photos: UW – Madison, West Madison Agricultural Research Station Staff

Seedless Table Grape Varieties White Seedless Marquis (New York) Mid-Season - 9/10/09 Brix 17.2 Fruit clusters loose and v. open Flesh melting, juicy texture Bland, but fresh taste Thompson like Disease problems – Black Rot/Phomopsis Photos: Courtesy of Iowa State University

Seedless Table Grape Varieties Blue Seedless Slipskin Resistant to feeding of Japanese Beetles Concord Seedless Mid-Season - 9/2/09 Brix 21.5 Fruit clusters very tight Flesh juicy, melting Dense, deep, Foxy/ American flavor Seeds in fruit two vines – no seeds in one - matured earlier Photos: UW – Madison, West Madison Agricultural Research Station Staff

Seedless Table Grape Varieties Blue Seedless Glenora (Arkansas) Four clusters of fruit 2009 Winter damage 2007 – vines froze to ground Struggled in 2008, due to possible herbicide damage on new growth in 2007 Photo courtesy of Stark Brothers Nursery

Seedless Table Grape Varieties Blue Seedless Mars (Arkansas) Mid-Season - 9/10/09 Brix 21.8 Fruit clusters tight Flesh juicy, melting Skin thinner than some other blues Flavor dense, deep, spicy Photo: UW – Madison, West Madison Agricultural Research Station Staff

Seedless Table Grape Varieties Blue Seedless Trollehaugen (Arkansas) Mid-Season - 9/10/09 Brix 16.3 Fruit clusters tight Flesh melting Flavor very sweet, deep, spicy Photos: UW – Madison, West Madison Agricultural Research Station Staff

Seedless Table Grape Varieties Blue Seedless Venus (Arkansas) Mid-Season - 9/10/09 Brix 17.8 Fruit clusters very tight Flesh melting Flavor dense, deep, spicy – reminiscent of sweet, pink grapefruit Photo: UW – Madison, West Madison Agricultural Research Station Staff

Ripening Sequence Sequence of Ripening 8/208/279/29/10 Cultivar NameColorBrix 1. Somerset SeedlessRed harv 2. VanessaRed harv 3. TrollhaugenBlue harv 4. CanadiceRed VenusBlue InterlakenWhite LakemontWhite EinsetRed Concord SeedlessBlue MarsBlue MarquisWhite GlenoraBlue SaturnRed HimrodWhite RelianceRed0.00 Fruit harvest and tasted on 8/14/09 were very sweet and ready for harvest – brix reading not taken Fruit sweet enough to harvest – sweeter taste on week later 2009 Favorites

Standard Sizing for Fresh Market – Seedless Table Grapes Under Glass All varieties excluding small-berry varieties cluster weight/g Small-berry varieties cluster weight/g Extra Class Class I Class II Sizing - International Commercial Quality Standards for Agricultural Produce – Established by United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Canada follows the UNECE standards

Weight of Clusters and One Berry Date Harvested 8/208/279/29/10 8/208/279/29/10 Data 453 g/lb Fruit Weight Cultivar Nameg/Cluster 1 berry cltr1 berry Canadice Concord Seedless Einset Glenora Himrod Interlaken Lakemont Marquis Mars Reliance Saturn Somerset Seedless harv harv Trollhaugen harv harv Vanessa harv harv Venus

Seedless Table Grape Trials Fourth Year : Seedless Table Grape Trial Thin flower clusters to recommended rate for each cultivar Apply gibberellic acid? Monitor for disease and insect problems Collect data on brix and acids Trial at local market Compile report on varieties Judith Reith-Rozelle Assistant Superintendent West Madison Agricultural Research Station

Seedless Table Grape Trials Support Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Development & Diversification Program (ADD) – Wisconsin Grape Growers Association - New Grant for – Support from winery in the state – staff training/financial University of Wisconsin – Madison, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences University of Wisconsin – Madison, Cooperative Extension