Growing Grapes in Pothowar

POTHOHAR
Altitude
Area

600-800 m
3.1 m ha

Soil PH
Structure
Soil Depth
Soil Drainage

6.5 - 8.5
Moderate - highly porous
5 15 Ft
Good - Excellent

Importance
Grape juice controls blood pressure
Strengthen Heart muscles and saves from Heart

attack

Grapes add fiber to the diet

Improves digestion system
Red grapes are rich in quercetin, a newly

discovered anticancer agent

Nutritional Facts
Serving Size

138g

Amounts Per Serving

Calories
Potassium
Total Carbohydrate
Dietary Fiber
Sugars
Protein
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Calcium
Iron

90
270mg
24g
1g
23g
1g
2%
25%
2%
2%

WHY TO GROW GRAPE?

Cultivation on Nearly marginal lands with out
replacing the area of other crops
Possesses a great economic potential
Drought resistant and environment friendly
Wide adaptability, not only in Pothowar also plains of
the Punjab and Cholistan.

WHY TO GROW GRAPE ?

Exploitation of Early grape varieties, broaden the
scenario
More economic returns compared to other field crop.
Easy to manage as compared to other fruit crops.
Longer productive life.
Very attractive market before Quetta valley.
Highly suitable for HEIS than other fruit crops.

CURRENT SCENARIO

Pakistan V/S World Viticulture

World

Pakistan

Percentage

Area Million 7.3

Hectares

0.015

0.20

Production
M Tons

0. 076

0.11

67.2

Top Ten Grapes Producers 2012 2013

Country

Production (tonnes)

Italy

8,519,418

China

6,787,081

Unites states

6,384,090

France

6,044,900

Spain

5,995,300

Turkey

3,612,781

Iran

3,000,000

Argentina

2,900,000

Chile

2,350,000

India

1,667,700

World

67,221,000

KP
K

Major Grapes growing

areas
Balochistan: Pishin, Quetta, Mastung
Kharan, Zhob, Chaghi, Qilla Abdullah
Qilla Saifullah

KPK:
Sindh:

South Waziristan, Swat, North Waziristan

Karachi

GRAPE CULTIVATION AREA

Sr. No.

AREAS OF GRAPE CULTIVATION IN PUNJAB

Rawalpindi

Islamabad

Attock

Chakwal

Khushab

Mianwali

Gujrat

Jhelum

Cholistan
12

AREA (HECTARES)

AREA UNDER CULTIVATION IN PAKISTAN

Area under cultivation

16000
15000
14000
13000

1532315358
13867
1299413133

12000
11000

YEAR FROM 2009

to 2013

PRODUCTION (TONNES)

PRODUCTION Of GRAPES IN PAKISTAN

75369 76095
80000
70000
60000
49076 48802 46570
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000 YEAR FROM 2009 to
0 2013

LAY OUT AND PLANTING

OPERATION

Site Selection and

Preparation
Grapes require full sunlight.
Adequate drainage and
moisture retention, required
Best soils are loams or
sandy loams with added
organic matter
Grapes grow best in soil
with
a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5

INITIAL FIELD PREPARATION

Main steps
(i)

Debushing/Bush clearing

(ii)

Removal of stones and rocks

(iii) Leveling of the soil and soil improvement.

PLANTING TIME
TWO SEASONS

Spring

Moon Soon

LAY OUT OF GRAPE

ORCHARD
Arrange the rows in a North-South orientation to allow

maximum exposure to the sun.

R x R = 10ft P x P = 6ft
Water newly planted vines every day.
Plant in straight rows for easier manageability, and to reduce
trellis costs.
Spread the roots out when you plant, giving them room.
Once you plant the grape, prune it back to 3 buds

HOW TO PLANT
PIT DIGGING:
The measurement of pit should be (2x2x2 feet)
PIT FILLING:

Pit must be filled by a homogenous mixture of soil, silt and

FYM with the ratio 1:1:1

2-3 irrigation must be applied for proper decay of FYM and two
times application of termicide

A VIEW OF PIT DIGGING IN DIFFERENT SOILS

PROPER PIT DIGGING FOR GRAPE ORCHARD

PIT FILLING

INITIAL PLANT CARE AND BASIN PREPARATION

Immediately after transplanting, a basin is prepared around the plant to
prevent run-off and to ensure a sufficient supply of water to the plant.
When using a micro irrigation system, it is recommended to have a
basin of approximately 2 feet in diameter and 15 to 20 cm deep.
The basin should have a slight downward slope towards the plant to
allow the water to reach the root system of the young plant.

TRANSPLANTING IRRIGATION
Immediately after transplanting, the plant should
be irrigated to limit transplant stress
Very sandy soils requires daily irrigation during
the first summer
Heavy soils will require irrigation once a week
In most soils, irrigation is required every second
or third day

SPECIAL PROTECTION MEASURES

Protection from Termite attack especially in dry areas
like Pothowar
Trellis system is necessary immediately after planting.
Avoid to use the FYM in Summer
Save against chewing animals (rabbits, etc.)
Fungicide may be applied during high humidity period

Varieties of Grapes
Each variety has its own distinct color, taste, texture

and history.
Grapes come in three basic colors
Green (sometimes called white)
Red
Blue-black

Varieties of
Grapes
Blue-black
Red

Green

Kishmish

GERM PLASM STRENGTH AT BARI

CHAKWAL
Perlette

Autumn Royale

Flame Seedless

White Seedless

Crimson Seedless

Sahibi

Red Globe

Early White

Gol

Priest

Vitro Black

Kings Ruby

Thompson Seedless

Sultanina C

Cardinal

Gola

Danlas

Haita

Alphanso

Superior

Reginia

Aesel

Muscat Hambourg

Italia

Taifi

Chasselas

Early maturing
varieties
Monsoon rains result in fungal diseases and

rottening

of grape berries

Select those varieties that escape the summer

monsoon rain and mature before the monsoon

season
Kings Ruby , Perlette, Sultanina C, Vitro Black,

Thompson Seedless and Flame Seedless are early

in maturity, and can be grown on commercial scale
successfully in monsoon rain fall region of Punjab

Vitro Black
Elongated
Purple
Seedless
Early
Sweet

Vitro Black

Sultanina C
Elongated
Yellowish green
Early
Sweet
Seedless

Perlette
First grape of the season
Light yellow in color
The berries are almost round
Seedless

PERLETTE

Flame Seedless
Deep-red color
Round, crunchy, sweet grape
Seedless

Kings Ruby
Dark Purple color
Seedless
Round
Very Sweet

Kings

Trellising
Systems

HEAD SYSTEM
Y-SYSTEM
TELEPHONE SYSTEM

Head System

Y- SYSTEM AT INITIAL STAGE

Telephone System

Pruning
Purpose of pruning is to get premium quality grapes and to

allow better growth for the following season

An average grapevine may have 200 to 300 fruit bearing buds

If the vine is left un-pruned number of grape clusters would be

excessive

The vine would be unable to ripen the large crop or sustain

adequate vegetative growth.

Pruning
After pruning the first winter: The single cane is

cut back and tied to the lower wire.

After pruning the second winter: Two new

canes of four or five buds each are tied on the

bottom wire. A third new cane is tied up to the
top wire and cut off.
After pruning the third winter: Three of the

arms and the fruiting canes have been formed.

A cane with four or five buds is left to establish

Unpruned

Pruned

Fertilizer
Nitrogen
Phosphorous
Potash
Nitrogen in Two split doses
I. Before bud break
II. After fruit setting

Potash in Three doses

III. Before bud break
IV. After fruit setting
V. After harvesting

150gm
120gm
280gm

Plant Protection
Measures

Diseases
Anthracnose (fungal disease)

Circular, sunken, ashy gray,

dark-bordered spots on the berries

Attacks fruit stems, leaf veins,

petioles, tendrils and berries

Berry cracks and exposing the seed.

High humidity favor disease development

Control

Pruned canes should be destroyed

Spray of Topsin M @ 2gm/litre water

Spray of Bordeaux mixture after pruning

Downy Mildew
Firstly pale yellow area on the upper surface of the leaf

Underside of leaf marked by downy appearance.

Premature defoliation
Infected Fruit covered with white growth
Berry turns into dull green and brown color

Control
Pruned canes and fallen leaves should be destroyed
Spray of Bordeaux mixture after pruning
Ridomil 2ml/ litre

Powdery mildew
Entire leaf surface have white patches
Results powdery appearance
Leaves curl upward
Discoloration may occur
Young berries has spotting

and misshapen

Control
Thiophenate Methyl @ 3 gm/liter water

Black Rot

Infected fruits shrivel, turn black

and remain attached to the cluster

Small brown spots form on leaves

Control
Summer pruning for air and light

penetration
Bunch thinning

Harvesting and
Picking
After 3 years each vine will

produce 10kg of grapes

Wait until they separate easy

from the seeds to pick.

Pick on a dry day, wet grapes

spoil quickly.

Economic Returns of Grapes on

Acre Basis
Total No. of Plants.

726

Average Yield Per Plant

Total Yield Per Acre

8 Kg
5808 Kg

Average Market Rate per Kg

Total Income

Rs.80/Kg

Rs. 464640

S
K
N
THA