A Complete Guide to Common Grape Varieties in China and Their Pros and Cons

Grapes are a fruit widely planted in China. They taste good and have a very wide range of uses: they can be made into wine, processed into snacks, and more. The market is full of grapes of every kind, with a huge number of varieties. So which grape varieties have you eaten or do you know about? Below, the editor of Nongxun Net introduces the common grape varieties.

1. Shine Muscat

Shine Muscat grape is a mid-to-late ripening Euro-American hybrid. The clusters are conical or cylindrical, moderately loose. The plant begins to bud in early April, flowers in May, and the fruit ripens and is picked for market in late August. The plant has fairly strong disease resistance, especially against downy mildew. The flesh is crisp, sweet and refreshing, with a rich rose aroma.

2. Jumeigui

Jumeigui is a mid-ripening Euro-American variety, notable for its rich rose aroma. The plant grows vigorously with strong branching ability, and is very high-yielding and consistent in yield. It usually buds on April 2, begins flowering on May 1, and the fruit ripens and can be picked for market on August 20. Its disease resistance is considered medium among grapes; it is susceptible to downy mildew and anthracnose, and its main insect pests are green plant bugs and leafhoppers.

3. Aishen Meigui

Aishen Meigui is an early-ripening Euro-Asian variety with small berries, red-purple to purple-black, seedless or with small residual seeds. The plant grows vigorously. It buds on April 4, begins flowering on May 6, and the fruit ripens on July 18. Disease resistance is average; it is susceptible to downy mildew and gray mold, and its main insect pest is the green plant bug. When eaten, it has a rich rose aroma.

4. Ruidu Xiangyu

Ruidu Xiangyu grape is an early-ripening Euro-Asian variety with features such as long clusters and good natural fruit set; the clusters are conical, and the berries are oval or ovate, with an average single berry weight of 6.3 g, making it a very high-yielding variety. The plant has moderate vigor. It buds on April 3, begins flowering on May 4, and the fruit ripens on July 24. Disease resistance is medium; it is susceptible to downy mildew and gray mold, and its main insect pest is the green plant bug. When eaten, it is sweet-and-sour and juicy, with a rose aroma.

5. Zaoxia Meigui

Zaoxia Meigui grape is early-ripening, a Euro-Asian variety. The berries are purplish red and color well; the berry shape is round, medium-large, set with medium tightness, and the vine vigor is on the weak side. This grape variety buds in early April, and the fruit ripens in late July. Disease resistance is medium, and it is susceptible to downy mildew. When eaten, the flesh is firm and crisp, moderately juicy, with no flesh sac, and it has a rich rose aroma.

6. Xiangfei

Xiangfei grape is early-ripening, a Euro-Asian variety. The clusters are medium-sized and the berries are relatively large. It has medium vigor, a relatively high budbreak rate, strong flower formation ability, and fairly strong productivity. It buds on April 5, begins flowering on May 7, and the fruit ripens on July 25. It is resistant to downy mildew and brown rot. When eaten, the flesh is crisp and firm, with a rich rose aroma.

7. Wuhe Cuibao

Wuhe Cuibao is early-ripening, a Euro-Asian variety; the clusters are conical with a shoulder, and the cluster shape is neat. The berries are obovate, set with medium tightness, uniform in size, large, with thin skin and yellow-green color; the flesh is crisp, sweet, and has a rose aroma. It buds in mid-April, begins flowering in late May, and the fruit ripens in late July. It has strong resistance to downy mildew and white rot, and is relatively sensitive to powdery mildew.

8. Summer Black

Summer Black grape is early-ripening, a Euro-American hybrid, naturally seedless, with parents being Kyoho x Thompson Seedless. The clusters are conical or cylindrical, with secondary clusters, with an average cluster weight of 700 g and a maximum cluster weight of 985 g. The berries are nearly round and set tightly. It buds in early April, begins flowering in early May, and the fruit ripens from late July to early August. During cultivation, attention should be paid to controlling diseases such as gray mold, downy mildew and anthracnose.

9. SP9715

SP9715 was bred by the Xinjiang Institute of Grape and Melon Research. Mid-ripening. The clusters are large and compact, and the berries are small, uniform, color well, and are pink, very attractive. The flesh is crisp, sweet and refreshing, with good taste and no aroma. It is highly productive, sets fruit naturally, and is naturally seedless. Extremely easy to cultivate. It shows slight fruit cracking. It buds on April 4, flowers on May 7, and ripens on August 1. The main diseases and pests are white rot, downy mildew and green plant bugs.

10. Ruifeng Wuhe

Ruifeng Wuhe is a mid-to-late ripening variety; the clusters are conical and relatively loose; the berries are nearly round, with severe variation in berry size and relatively heavy flower and fruit drop; seedless or with residual seeds; heavy bloom, tough skin, purplish red to red-purple; the fruit does not crack; the flesh is soft and juicy, with a sweet-and-sour flavor and a slight strawberry aroma. The soluble solids content is l6% to l8%, and it is mainly used for fresh eating. The plant has moderate vigor. It has fairly strong disease resistance, and medium drought and cold resistance.

11. Golden Finger

Golden Finger is mid-ripening, a Euro-American hybrid, selected and bred in Japan. The clusters are long conical, with secondary clusters, moderately tight, and the berry shape is unusual and attractive: long oval, thick in the middle and thin at both ends, slightly curved, bow-shaped, with thin skin, strong toughness, and no fruit cracking. It buds in early April, begins flowering in early May, and the fruit ripens in early August. Golden Finger is susceptible to white rot and anthracnose, and its main insect pest is the green plant bug.

12. Xinya

Xinya grape is mid-ripening, with large berries, crisp flesh, high yield, easy cultivation, and bright red coloration. It buds on April 3, flowers on May 5, and ripens on August 20; from budbreak to ripening takes 140 days. It is susceptible to downy mildew in the later stage. Attention must be paid to drainage work to prevent fruit cracking. Plastic film mulching is recommended, using a high-wide-drooping trellis system.

13. Qigao

Qigao is a Euro-Asian variety, mid-to-late ripening. It buds on April 1, flowers on April 27, and ripens on September 5; from budbreak to ripening takes 130 days. The main diseases are downy mildew, gray mold and sour rot. Cultivation requires reasonable fruit thinning, and it is recommended to use a "factory"-shaped tree form, a small pergola, a high-wide-drooping trellis system, or a double-cross V-shaped trellis.

The above is an introduction to common grape varieties. The article introduces the ripening time and main diseases and pests of each grape variety, which growers can refer to in cultivation management and then carry out effective control. Do you have anything to add about grape varieties? You are welcome to leave a comment and share!

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