🍇 Minnesota 78
A black-berried interspecific grape from the University of Minnesota, USA; per VIVC the parents are Beta and Witt.
Minnesota 78 (Minn. #78) is a black-berried interspecific grape bred at the University of Minnesota, USA. VIVC gives its parentage as Beta × Witt and names M. J. Dorsey of the University of Minnesota Fruit Breeding Farm as breeder. The flowers are female, so a pollinator is needed, and VIVC lists the use as table grape and MN 78 as a synonym.
Elmer Swenson, who later bred from the vine, wrote in 1991 that Dorsey started a grape breeding project around 1913 with Beta as the hardy parent. Beta came from the hybrid seedlings that Louis Suelter of Carver, Minnesota, offered for sale in 1884 (wild Vitis riparia pollinated with Concord). Selected seedlings went into a second-test vineyard in 1923, four were named in 1944, and No. 78 was also considered; Swenson found its texture the best of them.
Dorsey's records give No. 78 as Beta × Witt, and Witt is listed in Grapes of New York as a white Concord seedling. Swenson doubted this and thought Jessica more likely to be the pollen parent. He found Minn. #78 a very superior seed parent: its seedlings were winter hardy and ripened fruit and wood very early. In 1991 he reported Swenson hybrids in Scandinavia, Poland, East Germany and England.
Facts
| Country | USA, University of Minnesota 1 |
|---|---|
| Main use | Table grape per VIVC; main role is a mother variety in breeding 12 |
| Hardiness | Passes winter hardiness and early ripeness to descendants 2 |
How it connects to Wine
🍇 Minnesota 78 → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
Frequently asked questions
Who are the parents of Minnesota 78?
VIVC gives Beta × Witt. Swenson doubted that Witt was the pollen parent and thought Jessica more likely.
Does Minnesota 78 need a pollinator?
Yes. VIVC records the flowers as female.
Who bred Minnesota 78?
VIVC names M. J. Dorsey of the University of Minnesota Fruit Breeding Farm; Swenson says Dorsey began the breeding around 1913.
What to read next
- 🍇 Elmer Swenson 193 — A breeding selection by the American Elmer Swenson.
- 🍇 Swenson Red — A frost-hardy red table grape bred in Minnesota, USA.
- 🍇 Elmer Swenson 114 — A breeding number from Elmer Swenson, USA.
- 🍇 Elmer Swenson 442 — A breeding number from Elmer Swenson, USA.
- 🍇 Elmer Swenson 56 — A dark breeding number by Elmer Swenson, USA.
Similar
🍇 Swenson White · 🍇 Rubilande · 🍇 Bluebell · 🍇 Elmer Swenson 2-5-5 · 🍇 Elmer Swenson 2-7-13 · 🍇 Carver
Sources
- VIVC. Minnesota 78 (passport 16120)
- Swenson E. The Minn. #78 Grape — Lady of Mystery. Fruit Varieties Journal 45(1):6–8, 1991