Vision 2025 - National Research Centre for Grapes

• Although the Indian raisins comply with most of the quality parameters specified by Codex,
yet some important physical and organoleptic parameters need to be improved to make the
Indian raisins internationally acceptable.
6.2.3 Opportunities
• Introduction of world's ruling varieties like Red Globe, Crimson Seedless, Italia and 2A
clone of Thompson Seedless, H-5, and Superior Seedless etc. has now increased the varietal
base. On going evaluation ahs identified new clones and several hybrids are also in the
pipeline.
• Introduction of wine varieties for the wine making is yet to be exploited.
• Fast growing wine sector has to be exploited. There is scope for expansion of area and
production for domestic as well as export market.
• Opportunities also exist to increase the export of Indian table grapes to the south and southeast
Asian countries viz. China, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Philippines, Mauritius, Hong Kong,
Malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, etc.
• Scope for the organic / biodynamic grape cultivation is yet to be explored and exploited.
• Introduction of biological control and environment friendly methods in integrated
management of diseases and insect pests to reduce residues of pesticides as well as the cost
of cultivation.
• Export demand for raisins in international market can be captured by India by improvements
in quality of produce.
• Evolving self thinning varieties to reduce cost of thinning, and excess use of growth
regulator
• Use of advanced grafting techniques like budding and bench grafting machines to reduce
cost and failure of propagation manually
6.2.4 Threats
• In major grape growing regions of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, incidence of
diseases like mildew and anthracnose and insects like mealy bug and thrips are severe,
especially under wet and cloudy conditions, which affect the yield and quality of the fruits,
and increase cost of production.
• The increasing soil salinity and water shortage adversely affect the shoot vigour and vine
canopy thereby are a threat to the production of quality grapes.
• Heavy yields result in poor quality of grapes and short life of the vines. The proportion of
export quality grape reduces drastically with increase in yield over 20 t/ha. Many growers
do not regulate crop load, which is essential for the production of quality grapes and life of
the vine.
• Grapes in India being grown under tropical climate, incidence of insect pests and diseases
is high and produce is also of poor quality.
• More use of systemic pesticides has increased the chances of development of resistance in
the pests.
• Development of physiological disorders due to climatic changes e.g. pink berry in
Thompson seedless is also one of the potential threats to fresh grape exports from India.
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