Comparison of Vegetative Growth, Cropping Potential, and Fruit Quality of Selected American and French–American Hybrid Bunch Grape Cultivars and Advanced Selections in Alabama, Poster Board #277

Experimental vineyards were established at the Sand Mountain Research and Extension Center (SMREC), Crossville, AL, and the North Alabama Horticulture Research Center (NAHRC), Cullman, AL, in 2008 to evaluate the performance of Pierce’s Disease (PD) tolerant American and French-American hybrid bunch grape cultivars and advanced selections developed by the University of Arkansas grape breeding program. PD tolerant cultivars studied at the SMREC include ‘Black Spanish’, ‘Blanc du Bois’, ‘Champanel’, ‘Conquistador’, ‘Cynthiana’, ‘Favorite’, ‘Lake Emerald’, ‘Seyval Blanc’, ‘Seyval Blanc’ grafted on Coudrec 3309, ‘Stover’, and ‘Villard Blanc’. The experimental vineyard planted at the NAHRC includes ‘Conquistador’, ‘Stover’, ‘Mars’, and ‘Neptune’ as standards for processing and table grape cultivars and 12 advanced selections from the University of Arkansas grape breeding program. The experimental design utilized in both vineyards is a randomized complete-block design with 4 replications. During 2010–2011, data was collected to determine vine pruning weight, trunk cross sectional area, leaf area, and leaf chlorophyll rates. Vine early shoot development, percentage of open flowers, and veraison progression were also assessed throughout the growing season. Total yield per vine, mean cluster weight, average berry weight, and soluble solids content were measured. The results suggest ‘Champanel’ was the most vigorously growing grape among the PD tolerant cultivars in our test. ‘Blanc du Bois’, ‘Seyval Blanc’ and ‘Seyval Blanc’/3309C had early ripening season, while ‘Cynthiana’ and ‘Lake Emerald’ had late ripening season. ‘Villard Blanc’ produced the largest yield of 16.5 kg/vine and had the greatest mean cluster weight of 238.13 g. ‘Champanel’ produced the largest berries of 4.2 g on average. Selection ‘A2245’ was the most vigorously growing vine in the advanced selections trial, and ‘A2574’ had the highest yield of 15.06 kg/vine. Table grape selection ‘A2807’ had the largest mean cluster weight of 485.4 g on average and the greatest mean berry weight of 5.8 g. Research will continue and multiple season data is going to provide more complete evaluation on suitability of growing hybrid bunch grape cultivars in Alabama and the Southeast.