A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ® C A L I F O R N I A Trees & Vines ®
Solbrio table grapes, grown on spur-pruned vines without any applications of plant-growth regulators, can save money and require less labor and fewer chemicals, researchers say.
Researchers tout table grape and raisin varieties ByDennis Pollock
“It’s crunchy and sweet, with clusters at a reasonable size, with high brix and lowacid- ity,” El Kereamy said. “This was our first full harvest, and next year we expect them to be even better.” He said he believes the size of the grapes could increasewithmore nutrition. “I believe we can manage size” without use of growth regulators, he said. “I’m very optimistic about this variety.” ElKereamy saidresearchersatKearneyarecomparinguseof twopruningsystems: spur pruning and cane pruning. Maha Afifi, senior scientist at the California Table Grape Commission, is looking into differences in irrigation scheduling. The cultivar is licensed exclusively to the California Table Grape Commission, which will make it widely available through sub-licensing agreements. Solbriooriginated fromaplannedcross designedbyRamming in2004. Seedlings from the cross were transplanted to a field in the spring of 2005. Matthew Fidelibus, with the UCDavis Department of Viticulture and Enology, talked about the Sunpreme raisin grapes. He explained the fruit “dries on its own” without the cutting of canes and without
Two different varieties of grapes, growing in separate research plots at the Kearney Agricultural ResearchandExtensionCenter inParlier, sharecommonandwelcome traits. One is a raisinand theother is a tablegrape. Eachcanbepluckedoff thevineandeaten, and both are tasty. The twograpeswereshowcasedduringaUniversityofCaliforniaGrapeDay—andthere was significant pluckingandeating. Participantsboarded trams andwere taken tovarious research plots where they sampled fruit and soaked in information fromnew research. DavidRamming, a retiredU.S.Department ofAgricultureAgricultural ResearchService horticulturist, bred both grapes. Inthe livegatheringafter thepandemic first shutdownsimilarevents,AshrafElKereamy talkedabout theSolbrio tablegrape.He isdirectorof theLindcoveResearchandExtension Center and an assistant UC Cooperative Extension specialist. Before himwere several clusters of the black-skinned, seedless Solbrio variety. El Kereamy said thegrape ripensbetweenmid-Julyand theendof July, fillingawindow whenother varietiesare inshort supply. Because ithasashorter season, hesaid, it requires less water. The table grape also doesn’t require applications of plant-growth regulators for sizing. That savesmoney and labor and requires use of fewer chemicals.
See GRAPES, Page 8
September 22, 2021 Ag Alert 7
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