I Sciences UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA NIABELL and EARLY NIABELL New Tetraploid Grape Varieties for Home Gardens and Limited Commercial Planting H. P. OLMO and A. KOYAMA CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 790 Niabell and Early Niabell are the first commercial ^ tetra* grape varieties produced by plant breeding. They are Concord- type grapes, suited both to home gardens and to limited commercial planting. £ • They are vigorous and productive in a wide range of California v climatic districts, including some where the Concord does not produce satisfactorily. * • They have excellent American-type flavor, large, attractive black berries, and well-shaped, moderate-sized clusters. ^ • They make good, fullv colored juice and juice concentrate and, when properly handled, rose-type wines with agreeable berrylike bouquet. ^ • Propagating wood of these varieties may be purchased in limited £ quantity from the Foundation Plant Materials Service, University of California, Davis. This bulletin gives some suggestions on culture and "f ^ harvesting. Tetra, or tetraploid: having twice the usual number of chromosomes. The two tetra varieties discussed here were produced by crossing two autotetraploid varieties. (Auto- tetraploids are those arising by chromosome doubling in the growing shoots.) The crossing not only overcame the usual faults of autotetraploid grapes — a poor habit of growth and low yields — but also gave an opportunity to combine desirable characteristics of two varieties, while retaining the large berry size of the tetras. AUGUST, 1962 THE AUTHORS: Mr. Olmo is Professor of Viticulture and Viticulturist in the Experiment Station, Davis; Mr. Koyama is Laboratory Technician, De- partment of Viticulture and Enology, Davis. H. P. OLMO AND A. KOYAMA NIABELL and EARLY MI ABELL NEW TETRAPLOID VARIETIES OF THE CONCORD TYPE In grape varieties sold for table use, either to be consumed directly or used for decorative arrangement, the size of the berry is an important factor in con- sumer appeal. It is likely that optimum berry sizes have not been reached yet, since the fruit with the largest berries commands a premium price on the auc- tion markets. Increases in berry size of a given variety have been accomplished gradually by growers adopting cultural practices that in the end add to the cost of production. It has been determined that larger berry size can also be ob- tained by doubling the chromosome number of a given variety from 38 to the tetraploid number 76, but the re- sulting giant vines, or autotetraploids, have low yields and an undesirable growth habit. Work in progress has demonstrated that new varieties of large berry size can be produced by inter- breeding such tetraploids and selecting new tetra types that do not retain the undesirable features of the primary forms. Niabell and Early Niabell are two such selected tetra types. It now appears likely that more new table varieties of the future will be tetraploids. Larger berry size may be of slight or no advan- tage in the production of new wine or raisin grapes, unless greater total yields can also be achieved. The Concord is still the mainstay of the grape industry in the East, Midwest, and Northwest. Although it has been tried repeatedly in the interior valleys of California, the hot, arid summers are not to its liking. The vine weakens, and the fruit is so inferior that it is likely to go unrecognized by visitors from New York, Ohio, or Washington. The influx of new Californians has created more demand, not only for table grapes of this type, but also for products having the high flavor of the Concord, in fresh juices, jellies, and semisweet wines. For garden use, the European-type grapes commonly grown in California are too dense in growth habit and are very subject to powdery mildew (Oid- ium). Shading of the vines by trees or buildings aggravates the problem. It is difficult for the home gardener to adhere religiously to a sulfur-dusting schedule. Thus the native American varieties such as the Concord are to be preferred for garden use because of their greater tol- erance to this disease. PARENTS The choice of parents of Niabell and Early Niabell was dictated by the de- sire for large berrv size and the need for a new variety of the Concord type that would grow and vield well in the interior vallevs of California and also be suited for home garden use over a wide climatic range. Niabell is the syn- thetic name derived from the parents, tetraploid Niagara and tetraploid Camp- bell Early. Campbell Early is an Ameri- can variety of excellent flavor. It ripens early and can be grown in cool areas of the Pacific slope. It is, however, even less well adapted to hot arid summers than is the Concord, and is a vine of very poor vigor. The tetraploid Niagara was selected to furnish the extra vigor and productivity. Neither of the original parent tetraploids had shown enough superiority over its diploid forebears to be considered as having any possible merit for market or garden use in Cali- fornia. The Campbell Early tetraploid was used as the female parent, and the cross was made in 1942. The seed was sown in the fall, and the seedlings grown in nursery beds until set into the field in the spring of 1944. Early Niabell has been tested under the seedling number LI 1-2, and Niabell as LI 1-3. Because of the irregular fruiting from year to year in the seedling block, observations were made for four seasons, after which time two varieties were selected. A third se- lection, LI 1-8, considered to have the best fruit quality of all, was finally elim- inated from the trial block because of irregular berry set and a widely fluctu- ating yield in some seasons. PROPAGATION In common with other tetraploid vari- eties, propagation of Niabell and Early Niabell from cuttings is usually very poor in our field nursery. Furthermore, commercial attempts to propagate these two varieties from cuttings have given very poor stands. The tetraploid root system is inferior in penetration and branching habit, and a better vine is ob- tained by grafting the tetraploid varie- ties onto a diploid root system. No diffi- culty has been experienced in getting strong and durable unions between diploid and tetraploid tissues. Niabell and Early Niabell have been propagated successfully on the common rootstocks, such as Vitis rupestris 'St. George,' 'Cou- derc 1613/ and 'Ganzin 1' (A x R #1). I n shallow soils or those subject to rapid drying, the 1613 is not as satisfactory as St. George or A x R #1, since the mature fruit does not hold as well on the vine and tends to shrivel. Both varieties have also been grafted successfully on V. vini- fera roots of the varieties Thompson Seedless, Grenache, and Mission. No in- compatibilities have been observed in plantings up to eight years of age. PRUNING For high-quality table fruit of good form and color, bilateral cordon pruning with two-bud spurs is recommended, but only in areas where strong spring winds are not experienced. The shoots are so vigorous and brittle they easily break from the trunk at their base, and much of the cordon may be left with vacant spaces. A lean-to or T trellis should be used, and the shoots trained to support themselves by attachment to the wires as soon as possible. The trellis wires should be about 14 in. above the main trunk so that a guide wire on each side can hold the upright shoots in place. In windy districts the vines should be cane-pruned. This increases the number of shoots and reduces their vigor. As a consequence, breakage is less of a prob- lem. For fresh juice or wine production, four canes of 10 to 12 buds in length can be used to obtain heavier crops on ma- ture vines. Trained on overhead arbors, the vines do not form the dense bushy growth of the common European varieties, and pruning is more easily accomplished. In the spring the carmine-tipped white shoots are very ornamental, and the very large, thick leaves provide ample shade. Both varieties are very tolerant of powdery mildew and can be grown without sulfuring in California districts, a distinct advantage for grapes grown in home gardens. Fig. 1. Special cartons like this or four-basket lugs are recommended for marketing Niabell and Early Niabell. HARVESTING In the Bakersfield (Arvin) district the Early Niabell is ready to harvest about the middle of July, the Niabell about two weeks later. On the eastern side of the San Joaquin Valley near Exeter and Lindsay, Niabell harvest begins about August 1 and can be extended for 3/2 weeks. At Davis, in the Sacramento Val- ley, the Early Niabell is palatable by July 26 and the Niabell by August 20. Both varieties ripen well and produce fruit of excellent quality in the north coastal area at Oakville, Napa County, where Thompson Seedless usually fails to reach complete maturity. Fruit for table use can be picked at Oakville in September. The fruit must be picked and handled more carefully than our common table grape varieties. The berry has a tend- ency, characteristic of many American varieties, to shell or separate from the capstem. The very large berries and the soft flesh contribute to this difficultv. Baskets or small cartons holding from 1 to 5 pounds of fruit are preferred, so that the clusters can be arranged looselv, and need not be pressured into the pack- age. A four-basket lug containing 20 pounds of fruit has been satisfactory for local markets. Special cartons also have been used with advantage (see Fig. 1). Packing directly in the field reduces handling and is almost a necessitv with these varieties. The fruit should be iden- tified as "Concord-type," in addition to the variety name, until the public is ac- quainted with these new varieties. The early ripening fruit is very attrac- tive to birds, and severe damage mav occur, especially in Early Niabell, before the grower is aware of attack. A single bird peck in the ripening berry is suffi- cient to start shriveling and decay. Re- moval of the blemished berries is costlv. If large flocks of birds are involved, the County Agricultural Commissioner Niabell has large rounded leaves, a compact, pyramidal cluster, and spherical, bluish-black berries. The unfolding leaves on shoot tips have carmine edges. Grapes are shown one- third actual size. Another view of Niabell. Early Niabell is similar, but the leaves are more deeply lobed, the berries reddish-black and elliptical, and the whole shoot tips are suffused with pur- plish color. should be consulted on methods of con- trol. Acetylene guns that can be set to fire at intervals are often effective, but they must be installed prior to the visi- tation of birds and kept in use during the early part of the season. When possible, vineyards should not be located adjacent to border rows of trees that serve as harboring points for the birds. If bird damage is prevalent in garden plant- ings, the clusters can be bagged with Manila grocery bags, No. 4 size, just as the fruit first shows color, or a loose covering of light cheesecloth can be placed over the clusters. PROCESSING Experimental lots of Davis fruit have been processed with the cooperation of the United States Department of Agri- culture, Western Utilization Research Laboratory, at Albany, California. Sam- ples of 40 pounds of fresh fruit were stemmed, run through a % in. coarse screen in a comminuting machine, heated to 150° F in a heat exchanger, and then pressed hot in a cider press. Yields of juice were about 60 per cent for Early Niabell and 80 per cent for Niabell, but the data are only prelim- inary because of the small lots handled. The concentration of Niabell juice was 4-fold after stripping of volatile flavors. Reconstituting the juice produced a sat- isfactory product. The juices maintained a pronounced aroma and good flavor. Some tasters re- marked that the juices of the 1956 sam- ples were too bland and could be im- proved by blending with high acid varieties (such as Scarlet). Analysis of the juice of Early Niabell showed: sol- uble solids, 17.1 per cent; total acid as tartaric, 0.45 per cent; pH 3.80. Niabell analysis gave: soluble solids, 20.2 per cent; total acid, 0.47; pH 4.22. The fruit of both varieties is fully colored and palatable at 16° Balling. In common with most varieties hav- ing native American species in their par- entage, the dry wines of both Niabell and Early Niabell have distinctly un- pleasant, bitter tastes. When the wines are not fermented to dryness, or if later sweetened, this bitterness is masked and the flavor is very acceptable. Since the varieties are inherently low in sugar, the -j addition of grape concentrate before fer- mentation, or spirits and sweetening after fermentation may be advisable. The most promising wine types that have been made from these new varie- r ties are the light-colored, slightly sweet types now popular. The bouquets of the wines are very agreeable and distinctly berrylike. Most of the bluish pigments present in the ripe grape precipitate out during fermentation, and the color of the finished wine is light red to orange-red, producing a very attractive rose type. CLIMATIC ADAPTATION Vines of the Niabell and Early Nia- bell are more resistant to winter cold than the Vitis vinifera grape. Near Okla- homa City, Oklahoma, both varieties were reported uninjured at -6° F, in the coldest winter in that area since 1949. The varieties have also succeeded at ele- vations up to 3,000 feet in most sections of the Sierra Nevada foothills. It is in this district that the highest fruit quality can be expected. ^ In the very hot desert regions of the Coachella and Imperial valleys, the young vines grow vigorously, but the fruit is delayed in ripening or may fail to ripen at all. They are not recom- mended for these or other areas of simi- lar climate. YIELDS AND MARKET ACCEPTANCE In three commercial plantings in the southern San Joaquin Valley, the yields of mature vines have ranged from 8 to 11.6 tons per acre. From 750 to 850 packages (20 pounds each) per acre have been marketed as high-quality 8 table fruit, the remainder being sold to type grapes is still unknown. Markets wineries. in the Pacific Northwest and the South- Fruit has been marketed in both the west should be explored. San Francisco and Los Angeles metro- Concord-type varieties such as these politan areas since 1955. Market ac- will probably remain specialty crops, ceptance has been very good, but the and large acreages are not likely to be size of the potential market for Concord- profitable. DESCRIPTION OF NIABELL Vine. Vigorous; open growth habit, canes few in number, procumbent, arching; trunk very thick, bark loosening early and shedding in wide long bands; budding out early; leaf fall early, several weeks before Thompson Seedless; more tolerant to heat and drought than Concord. Shoot. Tip only slightly curved, covered with heavy, white feltlike down; borders of unfolding leaves with striking carmine edges, the color suffused over upper surface; tendrils erect, bifid, discontinuous, short, thick; stem dark green, surface with long, woolly appressed hairs, circular in cross section, without prominent ribbing. Cane. Thick, straight, flattened, dark chocolate brown, finely ribbed, me- dium long internodes, very few secondary branches, basal internodes with persistent stiff hairs or spicules, very hairy surface; dormant bud conical, pointed, tightly and smoothly sealed. Tendrils discontinuous, verv large, thick, tough. Leaf. Very large, up to 8-10 in. across, rounded in outline, superior sinus a deep, open V; fleshy, thick, dark green, felted when young; petiole very thick, short, half as long as the midrib, forming an acute angle with stem; teeth in two series, very shallow, some rounded; surface bullate (puckered), cupped in unfolding leaves, blotched with yellow in fall coloration. Fruit. Primary cluster pyramidal, almost half with a loose wing of a few to 15 berries, very uniform in shape, 4/4 x 6 in. (12 x 15 cm), weight ranging from 7% to 23 oz. (221-665 grams), averaging 13 oz. (365 grams); usually compact but berries not compressed out of shape, average 55 berries per cluster; cluster stem very thick, )i in (6.5 mm) diameter at base, bright green, herbaceous; berry spherical, weight of 10 largest berries per cluster, 2/2 oz. (71 grams), largest up to % oz. (10 grams) each. Usually two large seeds per berry (no seedless berries formed), bluish black with heavv glaucous bloom, poor adherence. DESCRIPTION OF EARLY NIABELL Vine. Medium to weak in vigor, should be grafted on vigorous rootstock, growth arching and procumbent, trunk slender, budding out and flowering early, autumn leaf fall very early, tolerant to powdery mildew, foliage scorches if soil moisture is low. 9 Shoot. Growing tip straight, suffused with purplish, unfolding leaves heav- ily white-felted on lower surface, washed with purple on upper side, stem finely striated, some hairs forming stiff prickles; young tendrils erect and aris- ing at acute angle with shoot, bifid, discontinuous like Vitis vinifera. Cane. Few, short, very straight, flattened in cross section, slender, tapering quickly from broad base, dark brown throughout, surface glaucous and finely ribbed; tendrils long, bifid, wiry. Dormant buds very long, slender, conical, pointed, loosely clothed with scales. Leaf. Medium to large, thick; young expanding leaves markedly five-lobed washed with maroon, flat blade, with very deep, rounded U-shaped sinuses, but less marked in fully grown leaf, petiolar sinus wide V, deep; petiole thick, fleshy, very short, less than half the length of midrib; nerves deeply depressed to produce surface furrows; teeth acute, in two series, apical teeth very long, acute, slender, mucronate (ending with a sharp point). Fruit. Primary cluster cylindrical, 4 x 6 in. (10.4 x 14.8 cm); weight ranging from 5Mj to 24% oz. (160-700 grams), averaging 13 oz. (365 grams); compact with some berries compressed, averaging 65 berries per cluster; wing when present poorly developed and with only a few berries; cluster stem thick, % in. (4 mm) at base. Berry elliptical, weight of ten largest berries per cluster 2% oz. (70 grams), largest up to % oz. each; dull reddish-black with heavy bloom; fair adherence; flavor of Campbell Early. Two per cent of the berries have no seeds, 41 per cent 1 seed, 47 per cent 2 seeds, and 10 per cent 3 seeds. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS The Early Niabell can be most readily distinguished from Niabell by: (1) the vine is smaller and weaker growing; (2) all portions of the shoot tip are suffused with purplish color; (3) it has more deeply lobed or indented leaves and a shorter and more compact cluster that is cylindrical rather than short conical; and (4) the fruit is reddish-black, the berry elliptical rather than spherical and on the average smaller, and the color de- velops about 2 weeks earlier than Nia- bell. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We wish to thank Dr. F. DeEds and Mr. J. D. Ponting of the U. S. Department of Agri- culture Western Utilization Research and Development Division, Albany, California, for preliminary processing tests made in 1956. 10 10m-8,'62(C9559)M.R. HOW THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA WORKS WITH AGRICULTURE As one of the nation's Land-Grant institutions, the University of California plays a multiple role in service to agriculture. This involves teaching, research, and conveying the facts developed by research to those who may put them to good use in the best interest of all the people. These activities are combined in the University's Division of Agricul- tural Sciences. This statewide framework includes : The College of Agriculture providing instruction in agriculture and re- lated sciences on campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Los Angeles, and Riverside. The Schools of Forestry and Veterinary Medicine function as separate professional schools within the Division but are closely related to the College of Agriculture. The Agricultural Experiment Station conducting research on the four campuses mentioned above as well as on numerous field stations, experi- mental areas, and farms throughout the state. Closely allied with the Ex- periment Station are the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics and the Kearny Foundation of Soil Science. The Agricultural Extension Service with 53 offices serving 56 counties carrying out the responsibility of "extending" research results to the people. The service cooperates with the Experiment Station in local re- search on thousands of farms. It also conducts youth educational ac- tivities through the 4-H Club program.