NEW TABLE GRAPE VARIETIES

EXSA is committed to evaluating new cultivars in order to offer a wider and more up-to-date range of products to meet our customers’ needs. Our objective is to launch new products as quickly as is possible.

EXSA IS PRODUCING NEW VARIETIES FROM THE FOLLOWING INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL BREEDING PROGRAMMES:

  • International Fruit Genetics (IFG)
  • Sheehan Genetics LLC
  • Sun World
  • Culdevco/ ARC (South Africa)
  • Lombardi Genetics (South Africa)
  • Arra
Werner Naudé and Reynecke Viljoen of Exsa (left and centre) with Dr David Cain, IFG’s world renown table grape breeder, in a vineyard of IFG’s Sweet Sapphire® which was bred by Dr Cain.

Werner Naudé and Reynecke Viljoen of Exsa (left and centre) with Dr David Cain, IFG’s world renown table grape breeder, in a vineyard of IFG’s Sweet Sapphire® which was bred by Dr Cain.

PARTNERSHIP WITH INTERNATIONAL FRUIT GENETICS (IFG)

Exsa is one of the leading South African export companies that share the South African rights to the IFG (International Fruit Genetics) range of table grapes.

This highly acclaimed, Californian based fruit breeding company has developed and commercialised a range of varieties that includes several with highly unusual flavours and shapes. IFG grants licences to their new varieties around the world and currently the countries where licences have been issued are Chile, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Namibia, Australia, Turkey, South Africa and in the USA. The varieties in the IFG range are mainly seedless. A number of these varieties have already proved to be highly successful on world markets and access to these sought-after new varieties will continue to provide Exsa with the marketing edge for the future.

The South African evaluation block is on the farm of Leon Viljoen and the evaluation process is undertaken and managed by Leon and his son Reynecke Viljoen. In South Africa a few of the IFG varieties have reached the commercial production phase while others will also reach this point soon.

“We are concentrating our efforts on breeding grower-friendly varieties with a good eating quality, says fruit geneticist and founding partner of Californian fruit breeding company IFG Dr David Cain. “Globally labour has become problematic as it is both scarce and increasingly expensive, so we need varieties that require as little labour input as possible. In the process we are also introducing grapes with truly unusual flavours. This provides the opportunity to expand the market as this range of flavoured grapes essentially represent a new product. The exciting new flavours and appearance of the varieties are also more likely to appeal to customers than the traditional varieties.”

GRAPE VARIETIES FROM THESE BREEDERS TO LOOK OUT FOR ARE:

International Fruit Genetics (IFG):

Jack’s Salute®, a red grape variety with crisp, elongated to oval berries.

Sweet Sapphire®, a black grape variety with very long, sausage-shaped berries.

Sweet Celebration®, a highly productive, flavourful brilliant red seedless variety.

Sweet Globe®, a late season white variety with very large berries.

Sweet Joy®, a black variety with elongated berries and extremely good productivity.

Cotton Candy® is a white seedless variety which tastes like candyfloss.

Sugar Crisp® is a late season white variety with excellent colour and a crispy firm texture.

Candy Hearts® is a mid-season red seedless variety which tastes like butterscotch.

Sheehan Genetics LLC (SNFL)

IvoryTM (PBR: Sheegene-21): An extremely crisp mid-season white seedless variety.

TimpsonTM (PBR: Sheegene-2): A superb mid-season white seedless variety, with a hint of muscat flavour.

Krissy TM (PBR: Sheegene-12): A mid-season red seedless with exceptional, ‘fruity’ flavour, large berries and crisp texture.

AllisonTM (PBR: Sheegene-20): This late-season red seedless is highly productive with a crisp texture and great flavour.

MelodyTM (PBR: Blagratwo): This black seedless has a full black colour and has large, fully flavoured berries and crisp texture.

TimcoTM (Sheegene-13): This red mid-to-late season seedless variety is highly fertile. It has a sweet neutral/fruity flavour and is an alternative to Crimson.

Sun World

AUTUMN CRISP®, a very promising new white seedless variety.

MIDNIGHT BEAUTY®, a well-established black seedless variety.

SABLE SEEDLESS®, a black seedless variety with a unique exotic taste.

ADORA SEEDLESS®, a black seedless variety with unusually large oval berries.

SUPERIOR SEEDLESS®, Sugraone – a well-established, highly papular white seedless variety.

Culdevco/ ARC (South Africa)

Joybells®, an early red seedless variety with bell shaped berries.

Lombardi Genetics (South Africa)

Tawny Seedless®, an early season red seedless variety with a rounded berry shape.

ARRA (Grapa)

ARRA 13 – ARRA PASSION STAR™: This is an extremely fertile red seedless variety which produces large, juicy fruit which are characterized by elliptic berries full of flavour. It colours well and is enjoying worldwide success, especially in the arid and semi-arid regions.

ARRA 14 – ARRA MYSTIC BLOOM™:  This black seedless variety has excellent performance, extended shelf life and shipping durability. The variety has very good eating quality, consistent fertility and an excellent storage capacity.

ARRA 15 – ARRA SWEETIES™: This is a unique and appealing white seedless variety. It is planted worldwide due to its adaptability to differing climates, exceptional eating quality, berry shape and crunchiness, as well as great shipping performance and long shelf life.

ARRA 29 – ARRA PASSION FIRE™: This is a very early red seedless variety with exceptional eating quality. It has large, crisp berries, a medium sized bunch and an excellent natural, cherry colour.