S20 - Session O4 - IMIDA-ITUM breeding program, new organic table grape varieties for the world

Authors: Manuel Tornel *, María José Candel, Marisa Serrano, Pablo Crespo

Murcia is the Spanish region that produces and exports the largest amount of table grapes, in addition to being pioneers in organic farming. 35 years ago the vine growers of our region cultivated local varieties with seeds, then the varietal landscape was transformed with the foreign seedless varieties and since 2013 they are cultivating grapes obtained in our own IMIDA-ITUM breeding program. At present, the partner companies have eighteen new varieties that stand out by their crisp texture, of which nine are white, seven are red and two are black varieties , and they already cultivate an area that exceeds 1.300 hectares in Spain, equivalent to more than 20% of the regional land devoted to the cultivation of table grapes. A decade and a half ago we started a new line of work to obtain disease - tolerant varieties, the result of which are "Itumfifteen" and "Itumseventeen", our first registered varieties with genes for tolerance to powdery mildew. Growing them, producers will have fewer harvest losses and will also save in phytosanitary treatments, consumers will get grapes with less residue, and there will be a considerably less environmental impact, all of which aims at achieving a more sustainable type of agriculture; with these grapes, organic farming is easier. Although the varietal development aimed to satisfy the needs of local farmers, but due to the interest shown by growers from the rest of the world, plant material has been sent and the first commercial plantations are being carried out in Chile, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa and Australia.