Following the great feedback that we received on the ARRA table grape varieties that were presented at Fruit Logistica, this week we focus on Cape Orchard Company‘s ARRA 15 (ARRA Sweeties™) which was just one of the amazing shipments that we received to Berlin.
Achieving Grapeness: ARRA 15
Cape Orchard Company (COC) is one of the biggest table grape producing companies in Southern Africa. With table grape farms from Namibia to Western Cape in South Africa, COC is the biggest producer of the ARRA range of cultivars in South Africa with vast plantations of ARRA 13 and ARRA 15 and expansions of ARRA 29 and ARRA 30. In addition, COC have their own marketing company and market their table grapes throughout the world.
By the book
Paul Joubert, farm manager of COC’s Hex River farm, started three years ago to develop his ARRA 15 blocks and by carefully following the ARRA 15 protocols and agronomist Arnold Viljoen’s advice, achieved spectacular results with bunch sizes of 50-60 berries and twenty-four bunches per vine, resulting in twenty-eight tons per hectare exported.
Words of wisdom
As agronomist Arnold Viljoen advises, “To achieve successful ARRA 15, growth should be vigorous. Do not prune too many buds, the least the better. Only one bunch per shoot at first suckering and only on the thick shoots. Crop control should take place just after set and bunches should be trimmed to not more than sixty berries. Everything should be finished by 6mm berry size.
Looks grape to us!
As agronomist Arnold Viljoen advises, “To achieve successful ARRA 15, growth should be vigorous. Do not prune too many buds, the least the better. Only one bunch per shoot at first suckering and only on the thick shoots. Crop control should take place just after set and bunches should be trimmed to not more than sixty berries. Everything should be finished by 6mm berry size.
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