Bangalore Blue
A regional juice-purpose type for domestic markets.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Grapes
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Mid
- Expected yield
- High
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Variable — naturally resistant to phylloxera, but susceptible to some fungal diseases
- Release
- GI (Geographical Indication) tag granted in 2013. A traditional Karnataka grape, not an ICAR-bred or released variety.
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Bangalore Blue is a fox grape (Vitis labrusca), closely related to the American Concord grape. It has been grown for roughly 150 years around Bangalore and was given a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2013. It is grown in only three Karnataka districts (Bangalore Urban, Chikkaballapur and Kolar) in the Nandi Valley, on red sandy loam, with a day-night temperature swing (35–37°C by day, 12–15°C at night) that is found only in that pocket. The fruit is used fresh, for jam and jelly, for juice and in fortified wine.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Bangalore Blue if you farm in Bangalore Urban, Chikkaballapur or Kolar and want a GI-tagged (2013) grape for juice, jam, jelly, fortified wine or fresh sale. It is a Vitis labrusca fox grape, related to Concord, and it resists phylloxera naturally. The catches: it needs the Nandi Valley's red sandy loam and its sharp day-night temperature swing, it is susceptible to some fungal diseases, and it is not a raisin or export-table grape. Choose Thompson Seedless for raisins and the mainstream table market. Choose Flame Seedless for an early red table grape.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- No reliable per-hectare yield is published for Bangalore Blue. A regional production figure of about 450,000 tonnes does not fit a growing area of about 5,000 hectares, so it is not used here. The "High" yield rating is only a general guide. Ask farmers in your district what they pick per acre.
- It is grown only in Bangalore Urban, Chikkaballapur and Kolar districts, which is narrower than the single-state "Karnataka" entry.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
The GI tag belongs to the Nandi Valley, not to the vine
Bangalore Blue's GI tag (2013) ties the name to three districts: Bangalore Urban, Chikkaballapur and Kolar. Red sandy loam and a sharp day-night temperature swing make the fruit what it is.
If you farm inside the zone, use the name with pride and keep records of where each lot was grown. Buyers who pay for a GI fruit will ask.
If you farm outside it, sell the fruit under its own description, such as "labrusca grape for juice and jam", and do not use the GI name. Test a small block before you plant widely.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This crop is raised from cuttings, not from seed, so you can take your own planting material. Take cuttings only from healthy, well-grown plants that are true to the variety, and never from one that showed disease — a cutting carries its mother plant with it. Where a nursery or a government farm sells clean planting material, that is the safer start.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Grapes variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anab-e-Shahi | A seeded, amber heritage table grape for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana buyers who still ask for it | Bearing from year 2–3 (rooted-cutting-raised vine) | 300–350 q/ha at full bearing | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana |
| Bangalore Bluethis page | A fox-grape (Vitis labrusca) for juice, jam, jelly and wine, grown only in the Nandi Valley zone of Karnataka | Mid | High | Karnataka |
| Flame Seedless | An early, red, firm seedless table grape for the coloured fresh market, grown around Nashik | Early | High | Maharashtra, Karnataka |
| Manik Chaman | A sweet, elongated-berry Thompson Seedless mutant grown mainly for raisins in Maharashtra | ~140 days | Very high | Maharashtra |
| Sharad Seedless | A black, thick-skinned seedless grape that ripens later than Thompson, for the October–February market | Bearing from year 2–3 (rooted-cutting-raised vine) | 200–250 q/ha at full bearing | Maharashtra |
| Sonaka | A golden, large-berry Thompson Seedless mutant for the fresh and export market, also used for raisins | ~140 days | Very high | Maharashtra |
| Thompson Seedless | The base green seedless grape for table and raisins in Maharashtra and Karnataka, for farmers who run a monsoon spray programme | Bearing from year 2–3 (rooted-cutting-raised vine) | 250–300 q/ha at full bearing | Maharashtra, Karnataka |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Grapes is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Grapes plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Grapes variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Grapes into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Grapes rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Grapes seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Bangalore Blue called a "fox grape"?
It belongs to Vitis labrusca, the American fox-grape species, closely related to the Concord grape — unlike most Indian table grapes, which are Vitis vinifera.
Where exactly is Bangalore Blue grown?
Only in the Nandi Valley pocket of three Karnataka districts — Bangalore Urban, Chikkaballapur, and Kolar — where a unique red sandy loam soil and day-night temperature swing occur together.
Does Bangalore Blue have a GI (Geographical Indication) tag?
Yes, granted in 2013 by the Government of India.
What is Bangalore Blue mainly used for?
Fresh eating, juice, jam and jelly, and fortified wine — it is not primarily a raisin or export-table grape.
Is Bangalore Blue disease-resistant?
Yes, in a specific way — it carries natural phylloxera resistance from its Concord ancestry, while remaining susceptible to some fungal diseases like mildew, as the 'Variable' rating now states explicitly.
Can I grow Bangalore Blue outside the Nandi Valley?
You can plant it elsewhere, but its fame rests on one pocket: red sandy loam plus a day-night swing of 35–37°C by day and 12–15°C at night. Outside that pocket, expect a different fruit. A GI tag protects the name for the home zone, so do not sell fruit from elsewhere as Bangalore Blue.
Is Bangalore Blue good for the export table-grape market?
It is not mainly an export or raisin grape. Its uses are fresh eating, juice, jam, jelly and fortified wine. Selling to processors and wine makers fits it better than selling to exporters.
How much does Bangalore Blue yield per acre?
No reliable per-hectare figure is published. The yield is rated "High", but that is only a general guide. Ask three farmers in your district what they pick per acre, and what they get per kilo, before you work out your income.
What does phylloxera resistance mean for my vines?
Phylloxera is a root-feeding pest. Bangalore Blue carries natural resistance to it through its Concord-type ancestry, so root damage from it is less of a worry. It does not protect against fungal diseases like mildew. You still need to watch leaves and bunches in wet weather.
Why is it called a fox grape and does that change how I sell it?
Fox grape is the common name for Vitis labrusca, the American species behind the Concord grape. Its flavour is stronger and its use is different from the usual Indian table grape. Sell it for what it does well: juice, jam, jelly, wine and fresh eating by buyers who know the taste.
Sourced from: ICAR-IIHR released varieties. editorial policy.