Sharad Seedless
Developed by grape farmer Nanasaheb Kale (Nannaj, Solapur district, Maharashtra) in the 1980s — not ICAR-NRC for Grapes, Pune, which researches and evaluates the variety but did not breed or release it. Raised from cuttings, not true seed. Black, oblong berries that ripen later than Thompson Seedless — planted to spread the harvest window and the mandi price with it.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Grapes
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- Bearing from year 2–3 (rooted-cutting-raised vine)
- Expected yield
- 200–250 q/ha at full bearing
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Developed by farmer Nanasaheb Kale (Nannaj, Solapur district, Maharashtra) in the 1980s, per two directly-fetched sources — not an official ICAR-NRC Grapes release, which no source found this pass or the last confirms; named in honour of Sharad Pawar rather than after a breeding institute.
About this variety
Sharad Seedless was developed by grape farmer Nanasaheb Kale of Nannaj village, Solapur district, Maharashtra, in the 1980s — per two independently directly-fetched sources (a National Innovation Foundation-India writeup and a Krishi Jagran farmer-profile feature on his son Dattatraya), not bred or formally released by ICAR-NRC Grapes, Pune, which researches and evaluates the variety at its own station rather than having originated it. Nanasaheb Kale is also independently credited with developing Sonaka Seedless, one of Maharashtra's well-documented natural Thompson Seedless mutants — but the sources found for Sharad Seedless itself say only that he 'developed' it, not that it is itself a confirmed natural mutant of Thompson Seedless, so that stronger claim isn't made here. Sharad Seedless takes its name not from an institute but from Sharad Pawar — the former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Union Agriculture Minister closely associated with the state's cooperative sugar and horticulture sector — per a directly-fetched Millennium Post feature on Nashik's vineyards; a farmer can develop a variety and separately name it in someone's honour, so the two facts don't conflict. It is a black/purple-skinned, seedless table grape with a notably thick outer skin (per the directly-fetched Millennium Post source, useful for both fresh eating and winemaking), sweet flavour and medium-to-large bunch size; a WebSearch-corroborated figure (not independently confirmed by a fetched primary) puts its average bunch weight at 528 g in an NRC-Grapes-linked varietal-suitability study — consistent with the institute evaluating the variety rather than having originated it. It is grown widely alongside Thompson Seedless and Anab-e-Shahi across Maharashtra's Nashik–Sangli–Solapur–Pune 'hot tropical region' belt and is typically marketed from around October through February, later in the season than Thompson Seedless.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
Bearing from year 2–3 (rooted-cutting-raised vine)
Expected yield
200–250 q/ha at full bearing
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Somewhat sturdier skin than Thompson Seedless — better transport tolerance
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Later-ripening than Thompson Seedless (marketed roughly October–February against Thompson's earlier window), which helps growers spread the harvest and mandi-price window across the season — the same logic this registry's Sharad Seedless note already gives for grapes generally
- Notably thick skin per a directly-fetched Millennium Post feature — useful for both fresh eating and winemaking, and likely a factor in its 'somewhat sturdier skin, better transport tolerance' framing in this record's own diseaseResistance field
Things to consider
- No source found — including a directly-fetched Millennium Post feature specifically about Nashik's grape varieties — describes Sharad Seedless as an NRC Grapes release. Two directly-fetched sources (a National Innovation Foundation-India writeup and a Krishi Jagran farmer-profile feature) instead independently name farmer Nanasaheb Kale of Nannaj, Solapur district, as the developer, in the 1980s. NRC Grapes appears to evaluate and research the variety at its own station (one WebSearch-corroborated trial reports a 528 g bunch weight), a separate role from having bred or released it.
- The exact selection process behind Sharad Seedless (natural mutation vs. deliberate cross vs. clonal selection) isn't stated by either directly-fetched source — both say Nanasaheb Kale 'developed' it, without the specific 'natural mutant' language used for Thompson Seedless's well-documented Tas-A-Ganesh/Sonaka/Manik Chaman mutants (Sonaka is separately credited to the same Nanasaheb Kale). Recorded as 'developed by', not upgraded to 'natural mutant of Thompson Seedless', since no source makes that specific claim for Sharad Seedless itself.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Maharashtra
Frequently asked questions
Did ICAR-NRC Grapes actually breed Sharad Seedless?
No. Sharad Seedless was developed by farmer Nanasaheb Kale of Nannaj village, Solapur district, Maharashtra, in the 1980s, per two directly-fetched sources (a National Innovation Foundation-India writeup and a Krishi Jagran farmer-profile feature). Kale is also independently credited with developing Sonaka Seedless, one of Maharashtra's well-documented Thompson Seedless mutants. NRC Grapes does research and evaluate Sharad Seedless at its own station, a separate role from having bred or released it.
Where does the name 'Sharad Seedless' come from?
Not from an institute — per a directly-fetched Millennium Post feature, it's named in honour of Sharad Pawar, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Union Agriculture Minister closely tied to the state's cooperative sugar and horticulture sector.
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.