Flame Seedless
An early, red seedless table grape grown for the coloured fresh market. Not yet individually researched for a detail page.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Grapes
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- Early
- Expected yield
- High
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Released 1973 · USDA Horticultural Crops Research Station, Fresno, California, USA — an introduced variety, not domestically bred
About this variety
Flame Seedless is a Vitis vinifera table grape bred at the USDA's Fresno, California research station — a 1961 cross by breeders Weinberger and Harmon, released in 1973 — with a complex all-European parentage: (Cardinal × Sultanina) crossed with ((Red Malaga × Tifafihi Ahmer) × (Muscat of Alexandria × Sultanina)). It is valued for firm, crisp, round red berries and early ripening. In India it is grown chiefly around Nashik, Maharashtra, and has also been trial-recommended as a table variety for the subtropics of North India for its high yield, bunch weight, and sugar content.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
Early
Expected yield
High
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Moderate
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- Origin traced to a US breeding programme (USDA Fresno, 1961 cross, 1973 release) rather than an Indian ICAR institute — noted here since this is an introduced variety, not domestically bred.
- Sourced material ties commercial cultivation mainly to Nashik, Maharashtra, and separately to North Indian subtropical trial plots; no source specifically confirmed Karnataka cultivation, though it is plausible given the general overlap of the Maharashtra-Karnataka grape belt. This record's existing Karnataka entry in the states field is left as is, flagged as unconfirmed-not-contradicted.
- A North Indian field trial recorded a high yield of 27.5 kg of fruit per vine with strong TSS (sugar) readings, corroborating this record's existing 'High' yieldPotential rating.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Maharashtra
- Karnataka
Frequently asked questions
Where does Flame Seedless originally come from?
It was bred at the USDA research station in Fresno, California, USA (1961 cross, released 1973) — it is an introduced variety in India, not a domestically bred one.
Where is Flame Seedless mainly grown in India?
Chiefly around Nashik, Maharashtra, with produce typically available February to April; it has also performed well in North Indian subtropical trial plots.
Is Flame Seedless a high yielder?
Yes — a North Indian trial recorded 27.5 kg of fruit per vine with high sugar (TSS) content, corroborating this record's "High" yieldPotential rating.
Is Flame Seedless confirmed in Karnataka specifically?
Not directly confirmed by sources checked this phase — cultivation material focused on Maharashtra (Nashik) and North India. Karnataka is left in this record's states field as plausible-but-unconfirmed.
What does the berry look like?
Round, firm, crisp, red berries in medium-sized clusters — an early-ripening variety.