It is a very popular crop in the world and commercially grown in most countries. It is a perennial and deciduous woody climbing vine. It is a good source of vitamin B and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Grapes are used for raw eating and are used for making various products such as jelly, jam, raisins, vinegar, juice, seed oil and grape seed extracts. Grape farming is mainly done in France, USA, Turkey, South Africa, China, Portugal, Argentina, Iran, Italy, and Chile. Among these China is the largest country doing grape farming.It also has health benefits such as it is used to control diabetes, relieves from asthma, heart issues, constipation, bone health etc. it is also useful for skin, hair and health related issues.

In India, Maharashtra is major producer of grape. Nashik, Solapur, Pune and Sangli are major grapes producing districts of Maharashtra.

It is grown in avariety of soil but good fertile soil having pH range of 6.5-8.5 having good water holding capacity is suited best for grape farming. 

Thompson Seedless: Bunches are big, equal sized grape, the grape is medium long, green color fruits turn golden at maturity, fruit is seed less, hard and good taste, late maturing variety.

Sonaka

Tas A Ganesh

Manik Chaman

Sarita seedless 

Nanasaheb Purple Seedless

Krishna seedless

Nath Jambo seedless

Mahadev seedless

Sharad seedless

Flame seedless

Red Globe

Thompson Seedless

Other States Variety

Black Sahebi: Fruit is purple in color, good quality, good bunches, thin peel and sweet flesh, soft seeds, can be kept for a long time, less fruit yield, large sized fruit. 

Perlette:High yielding variety, bunches are large to medium in size, grapes are medium size, lightly aromatic, round, thick peel, sweet flesh and hard.

Anab-e-Shahi: Bunches are medium to large sized filled, milk color fruits, thin peel, good quality fruits having sweet fruit.

Black Prince: Purple color round shaped fruit, thick peel, sweet and soft flesh, medium sized bunches, less dense, good yield giving early variety, suitable for raw eating and for juice making.

Crimson Seedless

Autumn Seedless

Blush Seedless

Autumn Royal

Marquis

To bring the soil to afine tilth, 3-4 deep ploughings done by tractor followed by 3 harrowing.

Time of sowing:

In Maharashtra, December – January also June-July is suitable time for sowing.

Spacing:

For sowing, use spacing of 3meter x 1.5meter. Prepared bed in north-south directions. 

 Nutrient Requirement (gm/tree)

Fertilizer Requirement (gm/tree)

After April pruning, apply Nitrogen@200gm (Urea@435 gm), Phosphorus@100 gm (SSP@625 gm) and Potash@120 gm (MoP@200 gm) per tree. Apply all fertilizer in three equal splits i.e. after 15th, 30th and 45days after April pruning.

After October pruning, immediately apply Phosphorus@105gm (SSP@650gm) and 15days after apply Nitrogen@55gm (Urea@120gm).

After 30 and 45days, apply Nitrogen@55gm (Urea@120gm) and Potash@30gm/tree (MoP@50gm) respectively. 

At time of berry formation, apply Potash@105gm (MoP@175gm) per tree.

In mid hills, irrigation is given in the first fortnight of February month and then in the first week of March. Then again irrigation is given at fruit development stage from start April to end-June. Irrigation is then necessary during less rainfall. In dry areas depending upon climate, irrigation is given once in a week. 

Application of Stomp@800ml per acre is done as the pre-emergence in the first fortnight of March after thorough ploughing and then spraying of Gramoxone 24 WCS (paraquat) or Glycel 41 SL (glyphosate)@1.6ltr/acre in 150ltr water is done as post emergence when the weeds attain the height of 15-20cm.

• Pests and their control:

Beetles: They eat fresh leaves and make the vines leafless.

Treatment: Spraying of Malathion@400ml per 150ltr water is done to get rid of beetles.

Thrips and Jassids: It sucks the juice of leaves and fruits. Jassid sucks the sap from the lower surface of leaves which causes white spots on the upper layer.

Treatment: Spraying of Malathion@400ml per 150ltr water is done to get rid of thrips and jassids. 

Leaf roller: Caterpillar makes the leaf roll. It also eats the flowers.

Treatment: Spraying of Quinalphos@600ml per 150ltr water is done to get rid of leaf roller.

Yellow and red wasp: This pest eats the mature fruits by doing the hole.

Treatment: Spraying of Quinalphos@600ml per 150ltr water is done to get rid of yellow and red wasp.

• Diseases and their control:

Powdery mildew: Powdery material is seen on both sides of leaves and on a bunch of flowers. Wilting is seen on leaves which will ultimately get dried.

Treatment: Spraying of Carbendazim@400gm or wettable sulphur@600gm is done before flower development and at the time of fruit development.

Downy mildew: Irregular shaped yellow color spots are seen on the upper layer of leaves and on lower layer fungus of white color is seen.

Treatment: The first spray of Mancozeb@400-500gm is done during training and pruning, the second spray is done after 3-4 weeks of the first spray, then the third spray is done before twig development and then fourth spray is done when bunch development start.

Anthracnose: On fruits, stem and branches, deep sunken wounds of canker are seen and on leaves, brown color stains are seen.

Treatment: Spraying of copper oxychloride or M-45@400gm per 150ltr water is done to get rid of anthracnose.

Harvesting is done when fruits are fully matured.  

After harvesting, grading is done. After grading, fruits are pre cooled at 4.4^oC temperature within six hours. Packing of grapes is done in containers for long distance markets.