Some notable characteristics of seedless muscadine grapes observed in FAMU’s grape breeding

Abstract

Two bronze and four red/black seedless Muscadine grape vines were obtained from 16,244 Muscadine hybrids, in the grape breeding programs at FAMU. Their seed traces were unnoticeable in ripe fruits, and could be the parthenocarpy seedless. The fruits were small and ranged from 1.7 to 3.4 g. Sugar contents (SSC %) and total titratable acid contents (TA %) were similar to Fry Seedless. No fruit rot was observed with red/black color fruit hybrids, but there was some with bronze color fruit hybrids. The other notable horticultural characteristics observed in these hybrids were pistillate flowers with erect stamens; red/black fruits were produced by green shoot tip vines; presence of uniform fruit ripening, and erratic yields.