Research Spotlight
Mid-Florida Research and Education Center: New Grape Variety a Pleasing Bunch Southern Jewel, the latest grape variety issued by IFAS, is high-yielding, disease resistant and produces fruit in big bunches.
IFAS developmental biology professor Dennis Gray, who led the team that created the new muscadine variety, says the new grape has been in the works since 1994. It is Gray's second grape cultivar release. The first was "Delicious," also issued this year. Southern Jewel is the 19th grape cultivar created by UF researchers.
Southern Jewel, created with traditional plant-breeding techniques, was grown and compared with other muscadine varieties at the Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka, starting in 2002. Its ability to produce fruit in bunches made it stand out, Gray said.
"Muscadines typically make very small clusters, maybe just four or five berries," he said. "This one can make more than 12, sometimes 16 berries on a cluster."
The more substantial part of Gray's research effort concerns development of genetically modified (engineered) grape. One of the only field trials in the world is underway at Apopka. It also is the only field trial testing for resistance to Pierce’s disease in genetically modified grapes. PD is the "scourge" of viticulture in the southeastern U.S. and California.
Muscadines are typically resistant to Pierce's disease, which plagues many grape varieties grown in Florida, but they can be susceptible to bitter rot or ripe rot, which cause the berries to decompose. Southern Jewel was resistant to all three diseases.
Southern Jewel is an open release by UF, which means any grower should eventually be able to grow the plant once nursery owners have enough established plants to sell. A few plants may already be available through some nurseries, he said. Interested growers should check the Florida Grape Growers Association Web site at www.fgga.org for information or check with larger nurseries for more information.
To read more about Southern Jewel, click here. Contact Dennis Gray, 407-884-2034, djg@ufl.edu for more information.
