"J *K
 ,,


Liberty (1976)


Dixie (1976)


lets is that only four varieties
('Southland', 'Carlos', 'Albemarle',
and 'Summit') can be harvested me-
chanically with a dry stem scar. A
breeding program with muscadines
was initiated at Leesburg in 1972 to
develop improved cultivars adapted
to mechanical harvest with rela-
tively uniform ripening. No new
muscadine cultivars have been re-
leased from the Florida breeding
program because it usually requires
10 to 12 years from the time of the
initial cross to the release of a su-
perior grape cultivar. However,
promising superior selections from
crosses made are being tested now
for possible release.
 Marketing of bunch grapes has
been aided by cold storage studies
done in the 1930's at ARC, Lees-
burg. More work on cold storage,
fumigation, etc. on muscadine grapes
is urgently needed. Fresh market
studies in the 1970's through super-
market outlets have indicated the
feasibility of marketing 'Stover'
bunch grape as fresh fruit with good
consumer acceptance. Fresh mus-
cadines are now being sold through
retail outlets in Florida, marketing
in pint berry containers and in dis-
play trays in chain stores. The Flor-
ida Grape Marketing Association,
organized in 1979, has marketed fresh
muscadines cooperatively through
several outlets.
 Processing of Florida-grown grapes
has been investigated since the
1960's at Gainesville and Leesburg,
indicating that certain cultivars of
bunch and muscadine grapes can


II