Grape variety Sensation
A hybrid of table grapes Sensation is the result of the work of Vasily Kapelyushny, a folk breeder from Rostov-on-Don. An engineer by profession, he has been practicing amateur viticulture for many years as a hobby. However, over time, the hobby grew into a main occupation. The simple cultivation of "sunny berries" was clearly not enough to satisfy the ebullient energy of Vasily Ulyanovich, in connection with which, on the advice of the famous breeder Ivan Kostrikin, he began to breed his own varieties, multiply and sell planting material. The Kapelyushny farm, despite its small area of 12 hectares, has become exemplary. Winegrowers came to him as to an open-air exhibition, so fascinating were the fruits of that which he had been doing for decades of his life.
Better than any words for themselves speak his creations, which fell in love with many thousands of people cultivating them on their plots. One of such magnificent brainchildren is Sensation - a hybrid form of grapes that appeared in the early 2000s as a result of crossing by Vasily Ulyanovich of the famous large-fruited variety Mascot with an equally outstanding seedless Rizamatom... The result is amazing in terms of aesthetic appeal and high palatability of the bunch. However, as is often the case among winegrowers distrustful of new products, many of them began to look for a catch in the Sensation. Some even bluntly stated that the new Kapelyushny hybrid is nothing more than a variety Victor another Don breeder Viktor Krainov. By the way, Krainov himself was once accused of the fact that his famous "troika" - Transformation, Anniversary of Novocherkassk and Victor, this is actually the same variety, and not bred by him, but grown from seeds obtained at the Novocherkassk Scientific Research Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking. What is not a plot for an action-packed detective, which is, in principle, quite easy to guess. The similarity of all these hybrid forms of grapes among themselves is explained by the family ties that connect them. In particular, their maternal form is the same, and this is due to a completely objective reason - amateur breeders, due to their constraint in their capabilities, are forced to use varieties with a functionally female type of flowering in their works, of which the Talisman is considered by the totality of characteristics one of the best. Naturally, as in the family, brothers will be similar to each other, so the grape "brothers" have many similarities. However, this does not mean that all of them are clones that do not have individuality, and even less does it make any of them more worthy of the right to exist than others. So Sensation, despite all the rumors, defended its place under the sun, literally and figuratively, and eventually gained a lot of sincere admirers, who today rejoice at its wonderful fruiting in their plots.
Agrobiological characteristics of grapes
The bushes are highly vigorous. The leaves are above medium in size, rich green, round, five-lobed, with a medium degree of dissection. The surface of the leaf is smooth or slightly wrinkled, the back side is without pubescence. The upper lateral notches are deep, open, lyre-shaped, or angled. The lower ones are much smaller, and sometimes barely outlined at all. The petiole notch is open, vaulted, with a rounded or pointed bottom. Petioles are long, reddish-green in color. The denticles along the edge of the leaf blade are low, triangular or saw-shaped, with slightly convex edges and rounded apices. The flowers of the variety are bisexual. According to winegrowers, pollination is good and stable over the years.Sensation has no signs of pea, shedding of flowers and ovary. The grape vines ripen to a sufficient length, while acquiring a brownish-red color.
The bunches are very massive, cylindrical or cylindrical in shape, moderately dense, with an average weight of 700-1500 grams, the largest reaching 3 kg. The comb is long, branched, strong enough to withstand the largest clusters in mass, greenish-red in color. The berries are of excellent size, shape and color: oblong, up to 40-45 in length and 25-28 mm in diameter, weighing 15-20 grams, attractive yellowish-pink color with a slight bloom of light prune on the surface. Good uniformity of grapes within the brush gives a wonderful presentation. The flesh of the variety is dense, fleshy-crunchy, with an exquisite pleasant taste and tones of nutmeg, which appear after a long time of ripening grapes on the bush. Uncolored juice, its sugar content reaches 18 grams / 100 ml. Data on titratable acidity have not yet been presented, but the ratio of sugar and acid during tasting is always harmonious. The skin is of medium thickness, quite firm, but edible. The seeds in the Sensation berry are presented in the amount of 1-3 pieces, however, they do not carry negative consequences for the gastronomic characteristics.
The crop is excellent primarily for fresh consumption, but at the same time it is quite capable of finding application in home preservation. The variety is very promising for cultivation on farms, due to its "marketability", early ripening, high yield, and the associated excellent profitability of its cultivation. On the personal plot, he will also delight the owners with the harvest, as well as make an indelible impression on the guests with its splendor. The grapes are suitable for long-distance transportation without losing their presentation, and they can also be stored in refrigerated chambers for several weeks, which prolongs the period of their sale.
Sensation ripens very early. The first bunches can be cut after 95 days of growing season, counting from the beginning of bud break. The vast majority of brushes will be ready for cleaning by day 105. In the conditions of the North Caucasus and southern Ukraine, this falls on the end of July - beginning of August. However, not only in the southern regions this grape can be grown. Due to the short growing season and the very modest required amount of active temperatures (2150-2250 ° C), the variety can grow and bear fruit even in the climate near Moscow, with the condition that the vines must be carefully sheltered for the winter.
The productivity of this hybrid form is extremely high. It perfectly "pulls" even a very high load, but you should not abuse this property, so that the plants after fruiting will have the strength to prepare for the cold season. With good care and a well-formed bush, for the fourth year already, it gives 20 kilograms of bunches per season. The variety rarely shows external signs of overloading, but, nevertheless, it needs to regulate the number of shoots and bunches in order to obtain a large-fruited and early harvest.
After ripening, the bunches of grapes can remain on the plants, reaching full physiological ripeness. At the same time, all the splendor of the taste and aroma of berries, hidden in the early harvest grapes, is manifested. Cracking of grapes for the Sensation, in principle, is not typical, but in the event of a sharp change in extreme drought with torrential rains, such a problem, albeit to a small extent, may appear in her. In addition, with long-term preservation of the harvest on the bush during the dry period, under the influence of summer heat, there may be a loss of turgor of the tissues of berries, and some of their wilting. But the wasps do not cause much harm to this variety due to the sufficient strength of the grape skins.
Agrotechnical features
Sensation in the growing process shows good indicators of unpretentiousness, plasticity and stability of fruiting in a variety of conditions.And although a full-fledged variety testing was not carried out in relation to it, it can be considered very interesting and promising in terms of the totality of already known economic characteristics.
The hybrid form does not impose any special requirements on the mechanical composition and level of soil fertility, growing equally well on fatty chernozem soils and rather poor lands of the Russian Non-Chernozem region. In the latter case, however, a good filling of the planting pit with organic and mineral fertilizers is necessary so that the young plant gains strength and energy in the first years of life. As with most other varieties of grapes, this variety is not suitable for excessively damp and swampy airtight lands, as well as lowlands and northern slopes. In the northernmost regions of cultivation, where there is no certainty about the sufficiency of even the modest amount of active temperatures required by Sensation, the bushes should be placed on the southern side of walls, outbuildings or dense fences to slightly increase the level of SAT and protect from cold winds. Studies on the resistance of the hybrid to the root phylloxera have not been carried out, which is why it is necessary to plant seedlings grafted onto phylloxera-resistant rootstocks in areas of soil contamination with this pest. Own-rooted culture is possible only where root aphids are guaranteed to be absent.
Already in the second or third year, depending on the method of reproduction of grapes and the level of agricultural technology, one can count on the appearance of the first "signal" bunches, and by the fourth or fifth year, the plants begin to fully and abundantly bear fruit. Rapid development requires the same operational definition with the form of bush management. According to the frost resistance declared by the originator, the Sensation must withstand frosts down to -24 ° C, which is quite enough to grow it on a trunk in the south without shelter for the winter. In this case, it forms a powerful skeleton, and thanks to a large supply of perennial wood, it can produce phenomenal yields in terms of volume. However, most winegrowers are reinsured by choosing cover formations such as a multi-arm fan or an oblique cordon for cultivation, annually removing the vine from the trellis and burying it for the winter. This approach is absolutely justified in the northern regions, where the thermometer often overcomes the critical mark for the variety. Moreover, one shelter of the above-ground part of the bush with earth is not enough there, and in the most frost-dangerous places, special insulation with organic materials is required - straw, sawdust, spruce branches, a needle holder
Cut the fruit arrows of the Sensation medium (by 6-8 buds) or long (by 8-12). The total load for a variety largely depends on the size and vitality of the plant, varying from 30 eyes in compact covering bushes, to 45 in powerful high-stemmed ones. The number of strong fruit-bearing shoots left by the fragment also changes proportionally. Their number can range from 20-22 to 27-28 pieces.On each of them, extra brushes are thinned out, leaving only one, and you can finally adjust the load by pinching off the lower third of the largest bunches of grapes in case of obvious overload of the bushes.
Protection against fungal diseases can be quite moderate in intensity, due to the relative resistance of Sensation to common pathogens. At the early stages of the growing season, it is necessary to carry out 2-3 complex preventive treatments, and then act according to the situation, promptly responding to the appearance of the first signs of damage to the bush by pathogens. At the same time, one should not forget about the mandatory fulfillment of the waiting periods specified in the instructions for chemical plant protection products, which determine the period of the last spraying before harvesting.
In other respects, the agricultural technology of Sensation differs little from other grape varieties. It responds well to watering, root and foliar dressing with fertilizers containing macro- and microelements. By regulating the water balance of the soil and maintaining it at optimal values, the size of bunches and berries increases, and hence the yield in general. In addition, in this case, you can not be afraid of a sharp change in soil moisture, and the possible problems associated with cracking of grapes. Before the autumn frosts, water-charging irrigation will be of great benefit, which will saturate the vine with moisture, thereby increasing its resistance to low winter temperatures.
