A NEW grape variety, Vitis rotundifolia (muscadine), has been cultivated by Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Introduced from southeast United States in 2016, various muscadine varieties such as Carlos, Noble, Alachua and GV, whose single fruit can weigh up to 9 grams, have been planted in Shanghai since 2017.

Lu Jiang, director of the university’s center for viniculture and enology, said he and his team hadworked hard for 10 years to cultivate thegrape in China.

“In the past, growing grapes in the south of China was considered impossible because of the climate,” he said. “But now muscadines have been widely planted here with an area of over 300 hectares.

“Production centers were also established in districts of Chongming, Jinshan, Fengxian, and Minhang in Shanghai,” he added.

Muscadine is known as the most disease-resistant grape variety, and can grow almost without pesticides. It is also praised for its fragrance and high nutritional value.