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Introduction of Muscadine Fruit

            Scientific name - Vitis rotundifolia

Vitis rotundifolia commonly known as Muscadine is a grapevine species that’s indigenous to the South of North America. Extensively cultivated since the 16th century, it has a widespread recognition for its natural range in almost all states of the US. It thrives in summer heat and is well-adapted to their native humid type of weather. With fewer chilling hours, they are said to grow even better compared to other known varieties.

Features of Muscadine are just like grapes and these berries are bronze to dark purple in color and become black when ripe. On the other hand, a lot of wild varieties stay green through ripeness. Apart from being consumed fresh they are also used in making jelly, wine and marmalades.

About Fruit

Quite different from the large, tight bunches, characteristic of European and American grapes, Muscadine berries are borne in small, loose clusters of 3-40 grapes approximately. With just about five oblong and hard seeds, they have a tough skin and are round, thick, 1 to 1-1/2 inch in size. As far as color of the fruit is concerned, they range from greenish bronze to bronze, pinkish, purple, red and black. They are sweet to taste and it varies from about 16% to 25% for the sweetest cultivars. Wild fruits have a musky quality and this is with regards to older cultivars, with modern cultivars, they are said to have a unique flavor that’s fruity, but with less muskiness. It is compared remarkably to the jaboticaba because of the flavor and appearance.

Nutritional Value of Muscadine Fruit

Nutrient	Bronze-skinned	Dark-skinned
Calories	68	76
Protein	0.5g	0.5g
Fat	0.4g	0.4g
Carbohydrates	12g	14g
Sodium	5mg	7mg
Calcium	17mg	24mg
Potassium	163mg	167mg
Magnesium	5mg	5mg
Vitamin C	7mg	6mg
Dietary Fiber	3g	3g
Soluble Fiber	1g	1g

Health Benefits of Muscadine Fruit

It is always worth seeking out Muscadine because they are highly nutritious than the average table grape. They are a major source of phytonutrients; following are some of the health benefits that you can enjoy consuming Muscadine and it includes:

Maintains bowel regularity

Controls blood glucose concentrations

Helps in reduction of oxidative stress to heart and blood health

Reduction of inflammation to blood vessels to reduce atherosclerotic plaque formation

Cultivation

In 3-5 years time, crops can be expected; commercial yields of 20–45 tonnes per hectare (8–18 tons per acre) are possible. It prefers sandy loam and alluvial soils to flourish. They take roots and grow wild in well-drained bottom lands that are not subject to extended water supply deficiency or water logging. Furthermore, they are dead set against to certain type of pests and diseases together with pierce disease, which can annihilate other grape species. This variety is one of the grape species that’s resistant to Phylloxera, an insect that can exterminate roots of grapevines.

Propagation

Seeing that cuttings root with difficulty, in general, muscadines are propagated by layering. Cuttings of softwood are done for propagating the plant. They can also be grown from seed, but of course cannot be expected to “come true”. At any time of the year, layering may be done, but it is usually done during the midsummer.

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