‘BRS Vitória’: a new seedless table-grape cultivar for the São Francisco Valley, northeast Brazil

‘BRS Vitoria’ is a seedless table grape released by the grape breeding program of EMBRAPA in 2012. It has attracted great interest from grape growers because of the high fertility of its buds, its exotic and pleasant taste and its tolerance to downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola). The aim of this study was to characterize the agronomic and productive behavior of the grape ‘BRS Vitoria’ under the tropical conditions of the Sao Francisco Valley. The study was carried out over four growing seasons (2014-2015) in a commercial vineyard in Petrolina, Pernambuco state, Brazil. Five plants were evaluated for the following variables: sprouting (%), fertility index of buds, production and number of bunches per plant, biometric measurements of clusters and berries, total soluble solids (SS) content and titratable acidity (TA). ‘BRS Vitoria’ presented a phenological cycle of 104 days from pruning to harvest, being characterized as an early cultivar. ‘BRS Vitoria’ presented high bud fertility and large numbers of bunches per vine. The estimated yield was 36.6 t ha(‑1). Bunches were medium sized and berries were round and black. It had a good SS content and TA and a very pleasant and exotic taste. ‘BRS Vitoria’ was well adapted to produce two crops a year, attracting great interest from table-grape growers, and the cultivated area has reached about 1000 ha in the region of the Sao Francisco Valley, northeast Brazil.