Patent Grant
PP35378
Latin name: Vitis L. hybrid.
Varietal denomination: ‘A-1400’.
The new and distinct grapevine named ‘A-1400’ is described herein. The new cultivar originated from a hand-pollinated cross of ‘Dunstan-210’ (female parent, non-patented) and ‘Black Monukka’ (male parent, non-patented) made in 1970. The seedlings fruited in the summer of 1973 in a vineyard near Clarksville, Ark. and one was selected for its potential as a table grape for utilization in the southern United States. The original vine was tested as ‘A-1400’. The new cultivar of grapevine is a white, seedless table grape which provides advancements in Pierce's Disease tolerance (Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al.) for the southern region of the United States. ‘A-1400’ produces large, attractive fruit clusters with berries that have a neutral flavor and palatable, thin skin.
The new and distinct grapevine cultivar originated from a hand-pollinated cross of ‘Dunstan-210’ (female parent, non-patented) and ‘Black Monukka’ (male parent, non-patented) made in 1970 near Clarksville, Ark. The seeds resulting from this controlled hybridization were germinated in a greenhouse during the winter of 1970-71. Resulting seedlings were planted in the spring of 1971 in a vineyard near Clarksville, Ark. The seedlings fruited in the summer of 1973 and one seedling, designated Arkansas Selection 1400, and was selected for its potential for fresh-market production as a table grape.
During late 1973 and early 1974, the original plant selection was propagated asexually at the above-noted location, by rooting hardwood cuttings. A test planting of three vines was established. In all propagations, hardwood cuttings were used and the selection rooted readily from hardwood cuttings. All propagules (resulting plants) of the new cultivar have been observed to be true to type in that during all asexual multiplication, the vegetative and fruit characteristics of the original plant have been maintained. All vines planted from hardwood cutting propagation fruited in the second or third season of growth in the vineyard after planting.
Vines of the new cultivar have good growth, not being excessively vigorous and maintain good health throughout the growing season. Test plantings at two planting sites in Texas, Somerville, Tex. and Stephenville, Tex., have shown merit for use in the southern United States. ‘A-1400’ has produced well as grafted plants in tests conducted in Texas and has been evaluated on ‘1103 Paulsen’ (non-patented) rootstock. Adaptation to the Texas test sites is good, with plants showing winter injury and heat damage to be minimal in these environments and resistance to Pierce's disease to be of value for the region.
The health of the new cultivar is good. Vines were evaluated for presence of the following diseases: powdery mildew (Erysiphe necator Schw. (syns. Uncinula necator (Schw.) Burr., E. tuckeri Berk., U. americana Howe, and U. spiralis Berk. & Curt; anamorph Oidium tuckeri Berk.), downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola Berl. & de Toni.), anthracnose (Elsinoë ampelina Shear), and black rot (Guignardia bidwellii Viala & Ravaz). The new cultivar appears to be less susceptible to downy mildew than ‘Blanc Du Bois’, though infection has been observed. Fungal disease can be controlled by the use of available fungicides. No symptoms of Pierce's Disease were observed at the test sites.
Average harvest date of this new cultivar in Texas is 16 July in Somerville, and 23 July in Stephenville. The berries are small-sized (ave. 2.3 g) and ellipsoid in shape. Fruit is seedless with small traces undetectable while eating. The flavor of the berry is neutral with balanced sweetness and acidity. Soluble solids average 16.0%. Fruit cracking and skin splitting is limited though some may be seen in severe rainfall pressure seasons. Clusters are medium, with tight cluster-fill. Average cluster weight was 306.4 g in Clarksville, Ark., 237.4 g in Somerville, Tex., and 575.5 g in Stephenville, Tex. Yield averages ranged from 5.5 kg/vine in Somerville, Tex. and 15.9 kg/vine in Stephenville, Tex.
The flavor attributes for the new cultivar are reflective of commercial standards for quality neutral table grapes.
The accompanying photographs show typical specimens of the new cultivar in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make in a color illustration of this character.
‘A-1400’ differs from the female parent, ‘Dunstan-210’, in that ‘A-1400’ produces green-skinned and seedless fruit, in contrast to ‘Dunstan-210’ which is blue-skinned and seeded. ‘A-1400’ differs from the male parent ‘Black Monukka’. ‘A-1400’ has green fruit skin as opposed to the dark purple to black fruit skin of ‘Black Monukka’. ‘A-1400’ is unique from similar cultivars. The proposed variety blooms an average of 4 days earlier than ‘Victoria Red’ (non-patented variety). Berry weight of ‘A-1400’ averages 2.3 g, which is 4.6 g smaller than ‘Victoria Red’ (ave. 6.9 g). The pH juice of ‘A-1400’ is slightly higher than that of ‘Victoria Red’, measuring 3.96 and 3.84, respectively.
The following is a detailed description of the botanical and pomological characteristics of the subject grapevine. Color data are presented in Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart designations, 1986 version, second edition.
Where dimensions, sizes, colors and other characteristics are given, it is to be understood that such characteristics are approximations of averages set forth as accurately as practicable.
The descriptions reported herein are from specimens grown near Somerville, Tex. Vines used for measurement were irrigated using trickle (drip) irrigation. Vines were fertilized annually in spring with Nitrogen or complete fertilizers. No shoot or leaf thinning practices were conducted on the vines.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP6159 | Reisch | Apr 1988 | P |
| PP13309 | Clark et al. | Dec 2002 | P2 |
| PP25152 | Clark et al. | Dec 2014 | P3 |
| PP25696 | Clark et al. | Jul 2015 | P3 |
| PP25697 | Clark et al. | Jul 2015 | P3 |
| PP25726 | Clark et al. | Jul 2015 | P3 |
| PP25746 | Clark et al. | Jul 2015 | P3 |
| PP30425 | Clark | Apr 2019 | P3 |
| PP30513 | Clark et al. | May 2019 | P3 |
| PP31526 | Clark | Mar 2020 | P2 |
| PP34850 | Clark | Dec 2022 | P2 |
| PP34869 | Clark | Dec 2022 | P2 |
| Entry |
|---|
| Scheiner et al. 2022. ‘Southern Sensation Seedless’ Grape. HortScience 57(2): 345-348. (Year: 2022). |
| McWhirt, A.L. et al. Small Fruit Cultivar Recommendations for Arkansas. University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. (2021) FSA6130. https://www.uaex.edu/publications/PDF/FSA-6130.pdf. |
| Scheiner, J., et al. ‘Southern Sensation Seedless’ Grape. HortScience (2022) 57(2): 345-348. |
| Stein, L.A. Table Grapes for Texas—Experimental Planting Indicates Exciting Potential. Fruit South (1988) 9(6): 5-7, 17. |
| Hightower, M. Backyard Vineyard a Lifeline for Southern Sensation Grape. University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. (2022). |
| Scheiner, J. Southern Sensation Seedless: A New Table Grape for the Mid-South. University of Georgia. (2022) Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium 22(2). https://smallfruits.org/2022/04/southern-sensation-seedless-a-new-table-grape-for-the-mid-south/?cat=34. |
