Seedless grapevine plant named ‘ARD49’

Abstract

A new distinct variety of grapevine named ‘ARD49’ abundantly forms attractive crunchy and juicy seedless berries with a yellow-green skin coloration, dense and large sized clusters which display a muscat flavor, the fruit is commonly ready for harvesting during June-July in San Joaquin Valley of Central California, U.S.A., and displays good eating qualities as a table grape, the fruit firmness renders the fruit well amenable for handling, shipping, and storage.

Description

Classification: The present invention relates to a new Vitis vinifera Grapevine.

Variety denomination: The new Grapevine has a varietal denomination ‘ARD49’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A breeding program was initiated during the late 90's near Bakersfield in San Joaquin Valley of Central California. In 2016, during this breeding program, a new variety of Vitis vinifera was created by deliberate cross breeding of two parent plants by emasculation of the pollen bearing organ of the female and introducing pollen from another male origin. The female parent of the new variety was 35-33+6, which is a white, sweet and crunchy variety, with very good berry attachment (non-patented in the United States). The male parent (i.e. the pollen parent) of the new variety was 1-9+20, a white muscat flavored variety with crisp and meaty berries (non-patented in the United States).

TABLE 1
‘ARD49’ compared with parents & closely related variety:
				‘Thompson
	‘ARD49’	35 − 33 + 6	1 − 9 + 20	Seedless’
Berry	Good	Very good	Very good	Medium
attachment
Capstem/	Thick/	Thin/long	Thick/	Medium/
brush	medium		medium	short
Berry shape	Cylindrical	Obtuse ovoid	Ovoid	Oblong

The parentage of the new variety can be summarized as follows:

• 35-33+6 X 1-9+20

An artificial pollination was created, and the result was an embryo which possessed unique genetic qualities. The rudiments resulting from the above pollination were embryo rescued.

In 2017 the plant was transplanted to Bakersfield in San Joaquin Valley of Central California.

It was found that the new grapevine of the present invention possesses the following combination of characteristics:

• • (a) Forms attractive crunchy and juicy seedless berries with a yellow-green skin coloration; in dense large clusters which display a muscat flavor,
  • (b) Commonly bears fruit during the months of June-July in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California, U.S.A., and
  • (c) Bears fruit that is firm and is well amenable for storage, handling, and shipping.
  • (d) Produces 24 bunches per vine, and an average of about 1-2 bunches per shoot, at a total of 49 lbs. fruit per vine.

The new variety during observation to date has displayed no visible disease, and has displayed an ability to well resist cold, drought, heat; but sensitive to direct exposure to sun and wind. The fruit of the new variety has been found to display excellent handling and shipping qualities combined with desirable dessert eating qualities.

The new variety of the present invention has been found to undergo asexual propagation beginning in 2018 near Bakersfield in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California, U.S.A. by bud grafting on mature ‘Thompson Seedless’ rootstock (non-patented in the United States). Such asexual propagation has been conducted thereafter in successive years to date and has shown that the characteristics of the new variety are strictly transmissible from one generation to another. Accordingly, the new variety undergoes asexual propagation in a true to type manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new variety ‘ARD49’ is a yellow-green seedless table grape with high production, e.g., about 24 bunches per vine, and an average of about 1-2 bunches per shoot.

Asexual reproduction by micro propagation of the new variety as performed near Bakersfield, California, U.S.A., shows that the forgoing and other distinguishing characteristics come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying photographic illustration shows typical five-year-old specimens of the new variety, vegetatively propagated, in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make in a color illustration of this character. Colors in the photograph may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description below, which accurately describes the colors of the new Grapevine.

The drawing shows leaves, stems, tendrils and grapes of ‘ARD49’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors is The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY (3^rd Edition). The description is based on the observation of plants growing on ‘Thompson Seedless’ rootstock outdoors near San Joaquin Valley of Central California, U.S.A.

TABLE 2
VINE CHARACTERISTICS:
Vigor      Vigorous upright shoots
Productive Bearing at a natural, average
capacity   capacity. Spur pruning.
Trunk      Strong and developed.
           Diameter is 2.6 inches at 5.9 inches
           above ground.
           Rough with a fibrous, shaggy exterior.
           Light maple brown coloring greyed
           orange 174 C

• Date of bud burst in Bakersfield California: February 27th

TABLE 3
YOUNG SHOOT CHARACTERISTICS:
Openness of tip                  Wide open
Density of prostrate hairs on tip Medium
Anthocyanin coloration of prostrate None
hairs on tip
Density of erect hairs on tip    Medium

TABLE 4
YOUNG LEAF CHARACTERISTICS:
Color of upper side of blade     Yellow green 144 A
Color of lower side of blade     Yellow green 146 C
Density of erect hairs between main Sparse
veins on upper side of blade
Density of erect hairs between main Sparse
veins on lower side of blade
Density of prostrate hairs on main Sparse
veins on upper side of blade
Density of prostrate hairs on main Sparse
veins on lower side of blade

TABLE 5
SHOOT CHARACTERISTICS:
Attitude (before tying)          Semi-erect
Color of dorsal side of internodes Yellow green 152 A
Color of ventral side of internodes Yellow green 144 B
Color of dorsal side of nodes    Yellow green 152 A
Color of ventral side of nodes   Yellow green 144 B
Density of erect hairs on internodes Sparse
Density of prostrate hairs on    Sparse
internodes
Length of tendrils               6.5 inches
Diameter of tendrils             0.07 inches
Color of tendrils                Yellow green 146 A
Number of tendrils at bloom      4
Positioning of first flowering and The first bunch is in the
fruiting node                    3rd node
Inflorescence number per flowering 1-2
shoot

TABLE 6
FLOWER CHARACTERISTICS:
Reproductive organs Fully developed stamens and
                    fully developed gynoecium
Flower length       0.26 inches
Flower diameter     0.19 inches
Pistil length       0.13 inches
Pistil color        Yellow green 144 A
Pollen Amount       Poor
Pollen color        Yellow 11 C
Stamen color        Yellow green 144 A
Stamen length       0.15 inches
Number of stamen    5

• First bloom in Bakersfield, California: April 22^nd
• Date of full bloom in Bakersfield, California: April 28^th

TABLE 7
MATURE LEAF CHARACTERISTICS:
Size of blade                    7.5 inches × 10.5 inches
Shape of blade                   Wedge-shaped
Base descriptors                 Pentagonal
Leaf margin                      Doubly serrate
Leaf apex                        Acute
Blistering of upper side of blade Absent or very sparse
Depth of upper lateral sinuses   Medium
Number of lobes                  Five
(Only varieties with lobed leaves) Slightly overlapped
Arrangement of lobes of upper
lateral sinuses
Arrangement of lobes of petiole  Wide open
sinus
Length of teeth                  0.5 inches
Ratio length/width of teeth      Large
Shape of teeth                   Mixture of both sides straight
                                 and both sides convex
Density of prostrate hairs between Absent or very sparse
main veins on lower side of blade
Density of erect hairs on main veins Absent or very sparse
on lower side of blade
Density of erect hairs between the Absent or very sparse
main veins on upper side of blade
Density of prostrate hairs on main Absent or very sparse
veins on upper side of blade
Length of petiole compared to length Moderately longer
of middle vein
Top side color                   Yellow green 147 A
Bottom side color                Yellow green 147 B
Texture of upper side of blade   Smooth
Texture of lower side of blade   Rough
Vein color on upper blade        Yellow green 147 C
Anthocyanin coloration of main veins None
on upper side of blade
Vein color on lower blade        Yellow green 145 C
Venation pattern for upper blade Netlike venation
Venation patten for lower blade  Netlike venation
Petiole length                   5.44 inches
Petiole diameter                 0.18 inches
Petiole color                    Red 53 A
Petiole texture                  Smooth

• Date of beginning of berry ripening in Bakersfield California: May 26^th

TABLE 8
BUNCH CHARACTERISTICS:
	Size (peduncle excluded)	Large
	Density of berries on bunch	Dense
	Bunch length	10	inches
	Bunch diameter	8	inches
	Length of peduncle of primary bunch	0.9	inches
	Diameter of peduncle of primary	0.16	inches
	bunch
	Peduncle of primary bunch color	Yellow green 144C
	Peduncle texture	Smooth
	Bunches per vine	24
	Average bunch weight	2.06	lbs

TABLE 9
BERRY CHARACTERISTICS:
Size                            Medium
Length                          1.47 inches
Weight                          0.42 oz
Diameter                        0.88 inches
Shape                           Cylindrical
Color of skin (without bloom)   Yellow green 145 A
Flesh color                     Yellow green 145 D
Brix                            20
Titratable acidity percentage   0.48%
Juice                           3.89 pH
Ease of detachment from pedicel Difficult
Thickness of skin               Medium
Anthocyanin coloration of flesh None
Firmness of flesh               Moderately firm
Particular flavor               Muscat
Formation of seeds              Rudimentary
Berries per bunch               171
Juiciness of the berry flesh    Juicy

TABLE 10
PEDICEL CHARACTERISTICS:
Length          0.53 inches
Diameter        0.11 inches
Color           Green 143 C
Pedicel texture Rough

TABLE 11
WOODY SHOOT CHARACTERISTICS:
	Woody shoot texture	Rough
	Woody shoot color	Greyed orange 175 A
	Woody shoot length	177	inches
	Diameter	0.4	inches
	Internode length	3.1	inches

• Market use of observed plants: Fresh market.
• Age and growing conditions: Six years growing under Y system in South Joaquin Valley (hot, dry summers).
• Shipping characteristics: (E.g. number of days fruit has been stored under specific conditions): Fruit was in cold storage. Stored in poly bags inside polystyrene boxes with sulfur pads. After 30 Days: rachises were 30% green; 2% berry shattering; no berry wrinkling or cracks were apparent.
• DNA profile: To further characterize the new variety DNA was extracted from plant samples and a DNA profile was obtained at California Seed & Plant Lab, California USA using base pairs for 10 standard microsatellite DNA markers. The data is presented hereafter.

TABLE 12
DNA profile for ‘ARD49’
	Microsatellite DNA	Allele Sizes in
	Marker	Base Pairs
	M 1	236	236
	M 2	247	249
	M 3	185	194
	M 4	210	214
	M 5	271	273
	M 6	133	133
	M 7	193	201
	M 8	251	251
	M 9	212	212
	M 10	247	271

The ‘ARD49’ variety has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotypic expression may vary somewhat with changes in light intensity and duration, cultural practices, and other environmental conditions.

Additional information relating to plant and fruit disease and pest resistance or susceptibility has not been observed to date. Specification of the plant hardiness zone and the heat/cold resistance has not been observed to date.

Claims

1. A new and distinct grapevine plant, botanically known as Vitis vinifera, identified as ‘ARD49’, substantially as shown and described herein.