A new seedless table grape cultivar Zhongputao No. 18

Abstract: Seedless grape is convenient to eat and easy to make raisins. Because of these characteristics, seedless breeding becomes more and more important. According to this tendency, we have cultivated a new table grape variety Zhongputao No. 18, which is a new seedless and late-ripening table grape cultivar with excellent quality. It was derived from the cross between Wuhezi as the female parent and Muscat Hamburg as the pollen. The cross was made in spring of 2003. By embryo rescue technology, tissue culture seedlings were obtained. Next year the seedlings were cultivated in a greenhouse, and then planted in the nursery. It was initially selected in 2006 for its good quality. After observation for several years, it was characterized by seedless, high quality, good appearance and storage, and mid-resistance. After regional adaptability trial in different sites, it was finally selected in 2018. We applied for the registration as a new cultivar, and it was put on records by the Henan Province Committee for Forest Variety Validation in 2020. Zhongputao No. 18 belongs to Vitis vinifera. The vine vigor is medium, young canes are green with red stripe, mature canes are reddish- brown, canes are round, and the surface of canes has pinstripe. The length of internode is middle, ordinarily 6-11 cm long. Young sprout of growth potential is medium. The young leaves are aubergine, glossy and less villi, mature leaves are heartshaped, leaf color is green, and leaves are flat and medium thickness. The cultivar has hermaphrodite flower and the first inflorescence is usually borne on the 4th or 5th node. The shape of cluster is conicalness, there is no pair of ear, and the natural fruit bunch weight is 600 g averagely with the length and width being 20 cm and 12 cm, respectively. The bunch is loose and tidy. The berry is purple red and long ellipse, average weight is 7.3 g, and the longitudinal diameter and transverse diameter are 2.1 cm and 1.5 cm, respectively. The berry is crisp with middle juice and pleasant sweetness and sourness. The soluble solids content is 18.0%, total sugar content is 16.2%, and titration acid content is 3.06 g · kg- 1 . The content of tannin is 686 mg·kg-1 , and the content of vitamin C is 5.76 mg·kg-1 . The flavor is sweet, and the quality is good. In Zhengzhou area, the time of budbreak is at the beginning of April, and flow-ering at mid May, and the berries mature at the beginning of September. The yield is about 22.5 tons per hectare. The grapevine has strong pathogen resistance, but has weak resistance to downy mildew. This grape variety has good yield, good storage capacity and high adaptability. In order to produce high quality grape berries, the cultivar can use the Y shape frame and spur pruning technique. This grape behaves well on the sandy soil, clay and alluvium of the Yellow River. Balanced application of both organic and chemical fertilizers is based on every vine germination and development stage. Zhongputao No. 18 has a wide adaptability, which can be cultivated in the most areas of Henan province, and similar climate and geographical areas.