Grape variety and grafted vine plant Sultanina: all the secrets

Sultanina

Very ancient variety original of Asia Minor. It is the most common seedless variety in the world and used both for fresh consumption and for raisins; also known as Thompson Seedless.

CULTIVATED AREA IN ITALY

YEAR	1990	2000	2010
HECTARES	10	30	1.500

Bud-burst period: everage.
Ripening period:everage-late.
Vigour: high.
Real fertility: 0,8.
Yield: rich.
Cluster weight: 400 g.
Berry weight: 3 g.
Berry seeds:seedless.
Sugar content: 16%.
Total acidity: 3,2‰.
PH: 3,65.
Transportation resistance: medium.

Ampelographic characters:

the bud has an open green and hairless apex with unfolded, green, hairless leaflets. The medium-sized, pentagonal, green, hairless leaf has a petiolar sinus with overlapping lobes. The cluster is medium-large, pyramidal and medium-compact. The small, uniform, ovoid berry has a thin but resistant skin and a crunchy pulp.

Training system and pruning:

it requires expanded training systems with a high load of buds. Green pruning, leaf thinning and sucking are required. With the annular incision and the use of gibberellic acid, an average berry weight of 6 g can be obtained.

Susceptibility to diseases and adverse conditions:

susceptible to coulure, especially in temperate climates and fertile soils. Evident incompatibility on 140Ru and SO4.

Overall rating:

interesting variety for being seedless and for its response to the treatments with gibberellic acid and to the annular incision. Excellent resistance to transports, aesthetic appearance and organoleptic features.

Clones in propagation:

Sultanina VCR122: selected in Crete, it has higher-than-average vigour and productivity; the cluster is more than medium, pyramidal, with medium wings, slightly semi-sparse; the berry is medium, uniform, with a thick yellow skin. Good-excellent berry detachment rate and crushing indices; good sugar content, limited total acidity. The larger size of the grape and the excellent rate of detachment make the clone particularly suitable to production for fresh consumption.