Grapevine plant named ‘IVC AN1’

Botanical name of the genus and species of the plant claimed:L.

Variety denomination: ‘IVC AN1’.

This application claims priority from Community Plant Variety Rights Application No. 2023/2314, filed Dec. 15, 2023.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct grapevine variety, botanically known asL., and hereinafter referred to by its variety denomination ‘IVC AN1’.

The new grapevine ‘IVC AN1’ is a product of a controlled breeding program conducted by the inventors, Professors Carlo Fideghelli, Silvio Costantino Pirolo, Nicola Borracci, and Vincenzo Roseti, at Azienda Martucci Valenzano (BA). The objective of the breeding program was to develop a new early ripening, very fertile grapevine variety particularly characterized by attractive berries with yellowish green color which are uniform in size and shape and are firm with tender crunchy skin.

‘IVC AN1’ is primarily adapted to the climate and growing conditions of the temperate regions with average yearly temperature about 19° C., minimum winter temperature about −10° C., annual rainfall around 500-750 mm of rain (e.g. south-Eastern Italy, Puglia). This region provides the necessary year-round temperatures required for it to produce and maintain a strong vigorous plant with consistent fruit production.

The new grapevine ‘IVC AN1’ originated from a cross made by the inventors in 2021 at Puglia, Italy. The female or seed parent is the grapevineL. indicated as ‘IVC A23’ (unpatented), in the inventors' collection located in Valenzano (Bari) Apulia, Italy, and the male or pollen parent is the grapevineL. indicated as ‘IVC A42’ (unpatented), in the inventors' collection.

The new grapevine ‘IVC AN1’ was observed and selected by the inventors within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in 2022, 2023, and 2024, at Valenzano (BA), Italy.

Asexual propagation of the new grapevine variety by bud grafting was first performed in 2022 in Valenzano (BA), Italy, and has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new variety is firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual propagation. The new cultivar propagates true-to-type.

‘IVC AN1’ can be grown in various climates and growing conditions. The variety produces and maintains a strong vigorous plant and consistent fruit production from August to September in Valenzano (BA), Italy.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be characteristics of ‘IVC AN1’, which in combination distinguish this grapevine as a new, unique, and distinct variety.

Plants of the new grapevine ‘IVC AN1’ differ from plants of the parentsL. ‘IVC A23’ (unpatented) andL. ‘IVC A42’ (unpatented), in the following characteristics described in Table 1.

Of the many commercial varieties known to the present inventors, the most similar to the new grapevine ‘IVC AN1’ areL. ‘SUGRATHIRTYFIVE’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,491 P2, and ‘SUPERIOR SEEDLESS’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,106, which differ from the new grapevine ‘IVC AN1’ in the characteristics described in Table 2.

The newL. ‘IVC AN1’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotypical descriptions and color designations stated for the new variety may vary, depending on variations in environmental factors, including weather (temperature, humidity and light intensity), day length, soil type, location and cultural conditions, without any change in the genotype of the grapevine.

The following description of ‘IVC AN1’ unless otherwise noted, is based on observations and measurements taken during 2022, 2023 and 2024, on plants grown in the vineyard located in Valenzano (BA)—Apulia, Italy under conditions which closely approximate those generally used in commercial practice. The described plants were grafted on 140 Ru and 1103 P. ‘IVC AN1’ planted at a distance of 2.5 m in typical red loam soil at an elevation of about 150 meter above sea level with drip-irrigation up to 2500 mq per hectare in the peak season in the summer and 25 kg of micro-elements L. fertilizers in each 9.600,00 liter of water. Average annual rainfall is about 550 mm, with an average of 350 mm rainfall in winter (December through February). Mean diurnal minimum temperature in January is 3.3° C., and mean diurnal maximum temperature in July is 29° C.

Unless otherwise stated, the detailed morphological description includes observations, measurements and values based on 3-year-old ‘IVC AN1’ plants grown in the vineyard at Valenzano (BA), Italy from 2022 to 2024. Quantified measurements are expressed as an average of measurements taken from a number of plants of ‘30’. The measurements of any individual plant, or any group of plants, of the new variety may vary from the stated average. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.) 2015 edition. Color values were taken under daylight conditions in full sunlight in Valenzano (BA), Italy. All of the plants of ‘IVC AN1’, insofar as they have been observed, have been consistent in all the characteristics described below.