Description and evaluation of table grape cultivars cultivated in Jabal alKhdar-Libya

الملخص EN

This investigation was conducted for two successive seasons (2014 and 2015) for description and evaluation of eleven table grape cultivars namely: Alponse Lavalle, Cardinal, Chasselas, Danlas, Dattier de Beyraouth, Flame Seedless, Italia, Muscat of Alexandria, Muscat Hambourg, Ribol and Sultanine.

The chosen vines were grown in a heavy clay soil, under rain fed conditions in Messa region, Elbida-Libya.

Some phenological aspects, description studies including (growing tips, leaves, bunches and berries), and chemical studies of bunches and berries were carried out.

The results showed that the phenological cycle from budburst to beginning of ripening occurred within a frame time of 92 days (Cardinal) to (132) days (Sultanine), whereas the interval between start of blooming and start of maturity ranged from 57 and 92 days for Cardinal and Muscat de Hambourg cultivars, respectively.

Cultivars under study were divided into three categories from the view point of maturity: (1) Very early cultivars (27/6 to 10/7): Cardinal, Flame Seedless; (2) Early cultivars (12/7 to 28/7): Alphonse Lavalle, Ribol, Danlas and (3) Medium mature cultivars (2/8 to 7/8): Sultanine, Muscat of Alexandria, Muscat Hamburg, Dattier De Beyrouth, Chasselas, Italia.

All studied cultivars were characterized by good vegetative growth and bunch quality.

Concerning berry shape and size, Sultanine cultivar had very small berries; Alphonse Lavalle, Chasselas, Flame Seedless cultivars had small size berries; Danlas, Dattier de Beyrouth, Italia, Muscat of Alexandria, Ribol and Muscat Hambourg cultivars had medium size berries and Cardinal cultivar had large size berries.

As for the berry shape, all cultivars had spherical shape except Dattier de Beyrouth, Italia, Muscat of Alexandria, Ribol and Sultanine cultivars had oval shape berries.

Concerning berry color, it is clear that in all cultivars it was yellow except Cardinal, Flame Seedless, Grenache and Ribol cultivars had red color berries.

These cultivars characterized by small bunches, where bunch weight ranged from 157 g (Chasselas) and 261 g (Danlas).

The average weight of 100 berries of these cultivars ranged from 112 g (Sultanine) to 612 g (Cardinal); Concerning of fruit taste and aroma, the following cultivars had good taste and strong aroma (Italia, Muscat of Alexandria, Muscat Hambourg).

The total sugars ranged from 16.28% (Sultanine) and 18.8% (Italia).

Monosaccharides ranged from 13.48% (Danlas) to 17.65% (Sultanine).

In general, the results showed that these different grapevine cultivars offer satisfactory and typical phenological characteristics during growth and at maturity, in relation to the classical table cultivars growing regions of the world, showing a good adaptation to the cultivation location, Massa Elbeda, Libya.