Sharad Seedless
Bred by farmer Nanasaheb Kale (Solapur) in the 1980s, not ICAR-NRC Grapes Pune, which only evaluates it. Raised from cuttings. Ripens later than Thompson.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Grapes
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Bearing from year 2–3 (rooted-cutting-raised vine)
- Expected yield
- 200–250 q/ha at full bearing
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Somewhat sturdier skin than Thompson Seedless — better transport tolerance
- Release
- Developed by the farmer Nanasaheb Kale (Nannaj, Solapur district, Maharashtra) in the 1980s, according to two sources. It is not an official ICAR-NRC Grapes release. It is named in honour of Sharad Pawar, not after a breeding institute.
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Sharad Seedless was developed by the grape farmer Nanasaheb Kale of Nannaj village, Solapur district, Maharashtra, in the 1980s. Two sources agree on this: a National Innovation Foundation-India writeup and a farmer-profile feature on his son Dattatraya. ICAR-NRC Grapes, Pune, did not breed or release it. It researches and evaluates the variety at its own station. Kale is also credited with Sonaka Seedless, but no source says Sharad Seedless is a natural Thompson Seedless mutant, so we do not say so here. The name honours Sharad Pawar, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Union Agriculture Minister, according to a Nashik vineyard feature. It is a black or purple seedless table grape with a notably thick outer skin, sweet flavour and medium-to-large bunches. One study linked to NRC Grapes puts its average bunch weight at 528 g, though that is not confirmed by a primary source. It is grown widely with Thompson Seedless and Anab-e-Shahi across the Nashik–Sangli–Solapur–Pune belt and is usually marketed from around October to February, later than Thompson Seedless.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Sharad Seedless if you want a black seedless grape with a thick skin that travels well, sweet flavour and medium-to-large bunches, marketed from around October to February, later than Thompson Seedless. It is a farmer's variety, developed by Nanasaheb Kale of Nannaj village, Solapur, in the 1980s. The catches: NRC Grapes only evaluates it and did not release it, and there is no official trial yield beyond a 528 g average bunch weight from one study. Choose Thompson Seedless for the green mainstream grape and raisins. Choose Flame Seedless for an early red grape in February to April.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- It ripens later than Thompson Seedless, and it is marketed from roughly October to February. That helps you spread harvest and selling across the season.
- A notably thick skin, which is useful for both fresh eating and winemaking and helps explain the better transport tolerance in the disease note.
Things to consider
- No source describes Sharad Seedless as an NRC Grapes release. Two sources name the farmer Nanasaheb Kale of Nannaj, Solapur, as its developer in the 1980s. NRC Grapes evaluates and researches the variety at its own station, which is a different role from breeding or releasing it.
- Neither source says how Kale developed it: a natural mutation, a cross or a clonal selection. So the text here says "developed by" and does not claim it is a Thompson Seedless mutant.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Maharashtra
Use the October–February window
Thompson Seedless comes first, and when it comes, many farmers sell at once. Sharad Seedless is usually marketed from around October to February, after that rush.
If your farm already grows Thompson Seedless, a block of Sharad Seedless spreads your picking and your sales over more weeks. It also means your labour and packing space are not all needed in the same fortnight.
Check one thing before you plant: does your buyer take black grapes in those months? Show them a bunch first. A good window is only worth something if someone buys in it.
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 Blue | 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 Seedlessthis page | 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
Did ICAR-NRC Grapes actually breed Sharad Seedless?
No. Farmer Nanasaheb Kale of Nannaj village, Solapur district, developed it in the 1980s, according to a National Innovation Foundation-India writeup and a farmer-profile feature. Kale is also credited with Sonaka Seedless, one of Maharashtra's Thompson Seedless mutants. NRC Grapes researches and evaluates Sharad Seedless at its own station, which is a separate role from breeding or releasing it.
Where does the name 'Sharad Seedless' come from?
Not from an institute. A Nashik vineyard feature says it is named in honour of Sharad Pawar, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Union Agriculture Minister, who is closely tied to the state's cooperative sugar and horticulture sector.
When can I sell Sharad Seedless?
It is usually marketed from around October to February, later than Thompson Seedless. That is the point of growing it: fruit that arrives after the Thompson rush. Tell your buyer your weeks and kilos in advance, and keep your own picking dates for a few seasons.
Why does a thick skin matter?
A thicker outer skin helps the berry survive handling and transport, which fits the disease note's "better transport tolerance" and makes it useful for fresh eating and winemaking. It does not make the vine disease-proof. Mildew still needs a spray programme.
How heavy are Sharad Seedless bunches?
The bunches are described as medium to large. One study linked to NRC Grapes gives an average of 528 g, but that is not confirmed by a primary source. Weigh a sample of bunches from your own vines, at your own harvest, before you promise a size to a buyer.
Is Sharad Seedless a mutant of Thompson Seedless?
No source says so. Sonaka, Manik Chaman and Tas-A-Ganesh are documented mutants of Thompson Seedless, but for Sharad Seedless the sources say only that Nanasaheb Kale developed it. Do not tell a buyer it is a Thompson mutant.
Sharad Seedless or Thompson Seedless for my vineyard?
Thompson Seedless is green, dual-purpose and the base of most Indian grape trade. Sharad Seedless is black, thick-skinned and arrives later, October to February. Many farms in the Nashik–Sangli–Solapur–Pune belt grow both, so the harvest is spread. If you have only one buyer for green grapes, adding Sharad Seedless gives you a later window.
Sourced from: From the vineyards of Nashik — Millennium Post, Sarita Seedless and Nanasaheb Purple Seedless: Improved Varieties of Black Grapes — National Innovation Foundation-India, Meet Dattatraya Nanasaheb Kale, a Successful Grape Farmer from Maharashtra — Krishi Jagran. editorial policy.