Chile Announces First Domestically Developed New Commercial Red Grape Variety

Patricio Arce, head of the CTF table grape genetic improvement project, said that the variety is an early-to-mid-ripening variety and can be picked from late January, so the supply window is quite favorable. It is bright red on the outside, has an "apple-like crunchy" taste, high yields and a long post-harvest shelf life.

"The stems of this variety are very bright green and stout, which is good for the quality and condition of the fruit itself," said Rodrigo Sapiain, consultant to the project. "It is not very old now, and the diameter of the fruit is 19 to 21 cm, so we believe that it will be more than 20 mm in the future. It also has good rain resistance and resistance to fungi." CTF general manager Sergio Maureira said , The research and development of this new variety is corresponding to the needs of the Chilean table grape industry and market. "The Chilean table grape industry is now undergoing reconstruction, and this new variety arrives in time to contribute to the reconstruction. It was developed for Chilean growers and exporters," he said.

"We are a major exporter in the southern hemisphere, and a major supplier of table grapes to countries such as the world and China. The creation of this variety is a new benchmark in the field of fruit gene development, providing our own variety for our own industry. "He said.

Founded in 2006, CTF currently has five fruit genetic improvement programs focusing on table grapes, cranberries, stone fruits, apples and cherries. This new variety is the first variety developed by the grape project. In addition, more than 30 other table grape varieties have entered the late stage of selection, ten of which are "very promising".