Update on USDA table grape breeding efforts in the San Joaquin Valley

Authors: Ledbetter, Craig

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/4/2020
Publication Date: 2/27/2020
Citation: Ledbetter, C.A. 2020. Update on USDA table grape breeding efforts in the San Joaquin Valley. Meeting Proceedings for 2020 Table Grape Seminar, Feb 27, 2020, Visalia, CA.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Table grape breeding at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in the San Joaquin Valley formally began in 1923 when breeders arranged their first crosses for future cultivar development. Hybridizations have continued annually in the quest for elite seedlings with unique combinations of fruit quality traits and production factors that deem them worthy of cultivar introduction. Twenty-one table grape cultivars have been released from the program to date and trialing of advanced table grape selections has been a collaborative effort with the California Table Grape Commission since 2002. The overall mission of the breeding program has not changed since inception, with the goal of developing new cultivars with improved quality characteristics that require fewer cultural treatments as compared with existing table grape cultivars. On a shorter timeline, current objectives for table grape breeding include: 1) trialing advanced selections to identify accessions worthy of cultivar introduction; and 2) developing durable powdery mildew resistant table grape selections.