'FAITH', 'GRATITUDE', 'HOPE', AND 'JOY' SEEDLESS TABLE GRAPES FROM ARKANSAS, USA

Abstract

Faith?, ?Gratitude? ?Hope?, and ?Joy? seedless table grapes are new cultivars (Vitis hybrid) developed by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, bringing to 12 the total number of releases from the program. These releases expand options for table grape growers for local markets in the United States. All four cultivars have non-slipskin flesh with good skin quality, fruit cracking resistance, good vine health, and winter hardiness. ?Faith? is blue-fruited, slightly fruity to neutral in flavor, semi-crisp, and ripens in late July to early August, the earliest of the four. ?Gratitude? berries are green with exceptional flesh crispness, and a neutral flavor, ripening usually in late August at this same location. ?Hope? is green-fruited, has a fruity flavor, is rather soft in texture, has high production potential, and ripens near August 19. ?Joy? is blue-fruited with exceptional fruity flavor but very soft texture, ripens the first or second week of August. All ripening dates are for West-Central Arkansas. These cultivars, in addition to prior releases from the program (including ?Mars?, ?Jupiter?, and ?Neptune?) provide for a range of dates of harvest along with choices of fruit colors, shapes, textures, and flavors. These should be adapted in the mid-South and Pacific Northwest of the US but should be further evaluated for adaptation and hardiness in the Midwest and other regions of the world with similar climates. It is envisioned that these cultivars will be best utilized by local-market growers, as they differ from commercial table grapes commonly found in retail markets in the US in that these new releases tend to be smaller-fruited, softer in texture, and can vary in seed remnant size compared to most commercial cultivars.