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Grapes (Vitis venefera)

Recommended Varieties
Israel blue
Type             Table variety
Vine vigor          Vigorous
Training system    Pandol
Fruit colour         Dark blue or black
Fruit shape         Round to oval
Bunch shape       Cylindrical

Cardinal
Type              Table variety
Vine vigor           Moderately vigorous
Training system    Pandol or GDC
Fruit colour          Dark pink to pink
Fruit shape          Round
Bunch shape        Cylindrical to round

Black Muscat
Type             Table variety
Vine vigor          Vigorous
Training system    Pandol or GDC
Fruit colour         Dark purple
Fruit shape         Round to oval, medium sized fruits
Bunch shape       Conical, some time winged

Muscat MI
Type              Wine variety for red wine, and can be used as a table
Vine vigor           Moderately vigorous
Training system    Pandol or GDC or other fences systems
Fruit colour         Dark purple, medium sized fruits.
Fruit shape         Round to oval
Bunch shape       Conical to cylindrical

French MI
Type              Wine variety for white wine
Vine vigor           Vigorous
Training system     Pandol or GDC
Fruit colour          Light green at ripen
Fruit shape          Round to oval
Bunch shape        Cylindrical, winged

Field Establishment
Environment requirement
Can be grown successfully, well-drained, deep soils in the dry zone of Sri Lanka, under irrigation.

Crop Management
Agronomic and cultural practices
Planting should be done with the on set of dry spell. Size of the planting hole is 1m X 1m X 1m, and should be filled with a mixture of topsoil and well-decomposed cow-dung at a ratio of 1:1. Spacing varies with the vine training system adopted.

Pandol system                               : 8m X 4m
Geneva double curtain system (GDC)    : 2.6m X 3m
Fence systems                              : 2.6m X 3m

Fertilizer requirement

Pruning
Pruning is an essential practice in viticulture. In Sri Lanka grapes can be pruned two times a year, that is in mid June and end of December. However, time of pruning have to determine, considering the prevailing weather condition and the growing phase of the vines. In general, irrigation has to stop five days before and after pruning and should irrigate as necessary in other times.

Pest and Disease
Pest
Vine girdler, cuts the mature vines; can be controlled
Paddle legged bug, feed on young shoots and caused to dried off the shoots; can be controlled

Diseases
Powdery and downy mildew, damage the new shoots, leaves, flowers and flower inflorescence. Can be controlled by adopting recommended cultural practices and using chemicals, (Metalaxil, or Bordeaux mixture).

Harvesting & Post-harvest Technology
Grapes vines can be maintained up to thirty years as a crop. Average yield is about 20-25 Mt/ha. After 3-4 years of establishment a vine can produce over 30 Kg of fruits per year. In addition an additional income can be obtained by planting material production, as there is a grate demand for planting materials at present.

Crop: Grapes
Program: Crop Improvment

Program: Crop Management

Program: Plant Protection

Program: Planting Material Production