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Muscadine grapes are well adapted to the Coastal Plain of North Carolina, where temperatures seldom fall below 10°F. Considerable injury generally occurs where winter temperatures drop below 0°F. Muscadines have a high degree of tolerance to pests and diseases that makes the production of bunch grapes nearly impossible in eastern North Carolina. There is no other fruit with such strong personal associations for so many native North Carolinians.
Grapes are welcome summer treats that can be eaten fresh, processed into jellies, jams, juice or even fermented into wine. Grapes are adapted to many soil types, and can be quite long-lived. There are basically two kinds of grapes grown in North Carolina, bunch grapes and muscadine. Bunch grapes produce berries in large clusters, and grow best in the mountains and piedmont areas. In coastal plain areas, Pierce's disease kills or shortens the life expectancy of many popular bunch grapes. Muscadine grapes, exemplified by the Scuppernong variety and noted for having smaller clusters, are not affected by this disease.
This muscadine grape production guide will help the increasing number of North Carolina farmers who are considering growing and marketing this fruit as a farm diversification option.
This publication reviews the results of a survey conducted to assess the distribution of grapevine leafroll-associated viruses (GLRaV) and grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV) in North Carolina. It provides information on identifying disease symptoms, collecting samples, submitting samples for virus testing, and best grapevine virus management practices for new vineyards and established mature vineyards.
While children are having fun growing, harvesting, and eating delicious, nutritious, fresh fruits and vegetables they also become stewards of the environment and develop healthy life skills. Muscadine grapes, a native North Carolina treasure, are easy to grow and bursting with flavor and nutrients. This publication provides information on how to grow muscadines in childcare center production gardens.
A muscadine virus survey was conducted in 2024 to assess the incidence of grapevine viruses across North Carolina (NC). This was a continuation of prior research in 2018-2020 on bunch grapes which confirmed the presence of grapevine viruses within NC vineyards. For this survey, muscadine vines were tested for grapevine leafroll associated virus complex (GLRaV-2, 3, 4, 7), grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV), grapevine virus A and B (GVA and GVB), grapevine rupetsris stem pitting-associated virus (GRSPaV), tomato ringspot virus (TRSV), and grapevine Syrah virus-1 (GSyV-1). Leaf-petiole samples were collected from 270 asymptomatic vines sampled across 8 vineyards. Samples were collected using a sterile technique with gloved hands and ethanol solution and evaluated at the NC State Micropropagation Unit. RNA was extracted from samples and then evaluated for viruses using Rt qPCR assays. The results show 37.1% incidence of GLRaV-2, 25.7% of GVB, 2.4% incidence of Xylella fastidiosa, and 0.5% incidence of GSyV-1. The total virus incidence was a 42.3% (89 vines) with co-infection incidence of 22.9% (48 vines). Additional muscadine testing will continue to understand the implication of muscadines viruses to both muscadines and bunch grapes crops.
This survey was conducted online from June 30, 2019 to July 15, 2019 to ask muscadine fresh-market growers about heir largest issues of concern. Marketing and consumer education as well as the development of extended seasons through new breeding material were among the highest ranked priorities for muscadine growers in NC.
