Grape Variety: Thompson Seedless

Variety Name	Thompson Seedless
TTB Approved Name(s)	Thompson Seedless (Sultanina)
Common Synonyms	Sultana, Sultanina, Sultaniye
All Synonyms	Ak Kishmish, Avtobi, Banati, Banati Abyad, Bealo Bez Seme, Bealo Sultana, Bedona, Beneti blanc, Bidaneh, Cekirdeksiz, Cekirdeksiz Yuvarlak, Cekirdeksiz Sultani, Cekirdeksiz Topan, Cekizdecsis, Couforago, Erevane Zheltyi, Erevani Degin, Feher Szultanszoeloe, Feherszultan, Kechmish Jaune, Kichmichi, Kis-Mis-Alb, Kishmish Alb, Kishmish Belyi, Kishmish Belyi Ovalinye, Kishmish Dolgii, Kishmish Gidra, Kishmish Indiskii, Kishmish Kryglyi, Kishmish Ovalnyi, Kishmish Safet, Kishmish Safid, Kishmish Safy, Kishmish Zheltyi, Kismis, Kismis Belii Ovalnti, Kismisi Beyaz, Kouphorrogo, Maisi, Maizi, Oval Kishmish, Pusa Seedless, Razakia, Roumined, Saru Kishmish Sultanie, Shendel Khani, Si In Pu Ta, Sin Pepita, Sin Semilla, Soultanina, Staphida Aspre, Sultana, Sultani Beyaz, Sultani Cekirdeksiz, Sultanina, Sultani Sirihi, Sultanine blanche, Sultaniye, Sultaniye Kinalyi, Summit, Tsimpimpo, Uva de Passa, Wuhebai
Countries of Origin	Turkey
Species	Vitis vinifera
References	Show 2 references Hide references Galet, P. 1998. Grape Varieties and Rootstock Varieties. Oenoplurimedia sarl. Chateau de Chaintre, France. Robinson, Jancis, Julia Harding, José Vouillamoz. WINE GRAPES. First U.S. edition, 2012. Harper Collins Publishers, East 53rd Street, New York, New York.
Berry Color	White
Uses	Concentrate,Raisin,Table,Wine
Comments	This cultivar is the most widely planted light-skinned variety in the world and is rarely used for wine. In California, massive plantings are used primarily for raisins. Robinson et al., 2012, WINE GRAPES, p. 1016-1017.

Thompson Seedless PhotosClick photo to enlarge

Thompson Seedless Selections

Information about: Selection Numbers | Registration Status

How Selection Numbers are Created

Questions are often asked as to how Foundation Plant Services (FPS) decides which number to assign to the grape selections in the foundation vineyard and whether those numbers relate to particular clones that may be the sources of the FPS selections.

The answer for most selections in the FPS foundation vineyard is that selection numbers are assigned by the next available (unused) number in sequence for that variety. There is nothing magical about it. For example, the first Sauvignon blanc selection that came to FPS in 1958 was named Sauvignon blanc FPS 01. The next Sauvignon blanc arrival received the name Sauvignon blanc FPS 02. Gaps in the numbering system in the current list of available selections mean that the omitted number was taken out of circulation for some reason, such as death from disease.

FPS intentionally chose the word "selection" rather than "clone" when referring to the products offered in the foundation vineyard. The word "clone" can be confusing and ambiguous. The major European collections have formal evaluation protocols for grape material to qualify material for release as an official "clone". Evaluation criteria includes field performance and wine making characteristics.

FPS does not perform formal clonal evaluations on the grapevine materials accepted for the foundation vineyard. The word "selection" at FPS simply means the material was collected from a single source vine from the vineyard of origin, whether within the United States or from a foreign vineyard. Some of our numbered selections have been through trials here in California but FPS does not conduct those trials or evaluations.

Having said that, there is a subgroup of selections at FPS that are official numbered clones from the formal clonal development programs in Europe. Those official clones are imported and sold by the owners as proprietary (trademarked) clonal material in the United States. The owners are large government or nursery entities in Europe, such as the ENTAV-INRA® clonal material from the IFV program in France. In order to preserve the identity of those clones, FPS agreed to assign them the same official clone number that the program in Europe gave them when released there. Cabernet Sauvignon 685 from France received the name Cabernet Sauvignon ENTAV-INRA® 685 at FPS. The owners of those proprietary clones are the ones who vouch for or affirm the authenticity of their trademarked clones.

Lastly, there is a small subset of "clones" that came to FPS in the 1980's prior to the establishment of the trademark programs for the European clones. Those clones also came to the United States associated with clone numbers assigned when the clones were developed in Europe. Many of the French clones in that group were developed at Dijon in France and the material has been known as the "Dijon clones". Those French clones were not protected by an official trademark program at the time they came to the United States. Some of those clones are no longer used in France and some were incorporated into the ENTAV-INRA trademark program.

FPS refers to this subset of clones as "generic clonal material". FPS agreed that we would assign those non-proprietary clones a new number at FPS rather than the European clonal number. They received their FPS numbers using the "next in order" rule. We may have a note on the plant description that the selection is "reported to be a certain French clone number". FPS cannot guarantee that such a selection is the official French clone number that it was formally associated with in France.

	Thompson Seedless 02A
Registration Status	Registered Registered is the ultimate status in the California Department of Food & Agricultures Grapevine Registration & Certification Program. Registered selections have successfully completed all disease testing required by the regulations. Registered selections have also been confirmed as true to variety by experts using visual observations, DNA-based testing or both.
Source	Thompson Seedless 01A (Latter Day Saints vineyard, Fresno, California)
Treatments	Heat treatment 91 days
Comments	This selection came to Foundation Plant Services around 1960 from a vineyard in Fresno, California. After basic index testing, the selection was planted in the old foundation vineyard in 1961 as Thompson Seedless 01A. Thompson Seedless 01A underwent heat treatment for 91 days at FPS in 1963. The new material was tested and released as Thompson Seedless 02A in 1964. Thompson Seedless 02A underwent microshoot tip tissue culture therapy at FPS in 2011 to qualify for the Russell Ranch Foundation Vineyard (see Thompson Seedless 02A.1).
	Thompson Seedless 05
Registration Status	Registered Registered is the ultimate status in the California Department of Food & Agricultures Grapevine Registration & Certification Program. Registered selections have successfully completed all disease testing required by the regulations. Registered selections have also been confirmed as true to variety by experts using visual observations, DNA-based testing or both.
Source	Thompson Seedless FPS 01A (Latter Day Saints' vineyard in Fresno, California)
Treatments	Heat treatment 280 days /nurse bud on LN33
Comments	This selection came to Foundation Plant Services around 1960 from the Latter Day Saints' vineyard in Fresno, California. After completion of basic index testing, the selection was planted in the old foundation vineyard in 1961 as Thompson Seedless 01A. Thompson Seedless 01A underwent heat treatment for 280 days in 1973. The new material was tested and planted in the foundation vineyard in 1976 as Thompson Seedless 05. Thompson Seedless 05 underwent microshoot tip tissue culture therapy in 2011 and has qualified for the Russell Ranch Foundation Vineyard (see Thompson Seedless 05.1).
	Thompson Seedless 07
Registration Status	Registered Registered is the ultimate status in the California Department of Food & Agricultures Grapevine Registration & Certification Program. Registered selections have successfully completed all disease testing required by the regulations. Registered selections have also been confirmed as true to variety by experts using visual observations, DNA-based testing or both.
Source	Thompson Seedless FPS 06 (CSIRO H5 ScHs,Victorian Plant Research Institute, Burnley, Victoria, Australia)
Treatments	Heat treatment 83 days; microshoot tip tissue culture therapy
Comments	This selection was imported to Davis in November, 1970, from the Victorian Plant Research Institute, Burnley, Victoria, Australia (USDA Plant Identification no. 364291. The clonal designation was CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific Industry Research Organization) H5 ScHs. The original material underwent heat treatment for 83 days. After completion of index testing, the selection was planted in 1975 in the old FPS foundation vineyard and the Tyree Vineyard, a vineyard on the UC Davis campus managed by the UC Davis Department of Viticulture & Enology. The heat treated material was known as Thompson Seedless 06. Former University of California Viticulture Extension Specialist Pete Christensen recommended that this selection be cleaned up for the state certification program. The heat treated material then underwent microshoot tip tissue culture therapy in 1996. Two new selections were created in this process - Thompson Seedless 07 and 08. After successful completion of testing for the California Grapevine Registration & Certification Program, the newly treated Thompson Seedless 07 and 08 were planted in the FPS Classic Foundation Vineyard in 2000.
	Thompson Seedless 08
Registration Status	Registered Registered is the ultimate status in the California Department of Food & Agricultures Grapevine Registration & Certification Program. Registered selections have successfully completed all disease testing required by the regulations. Registered selections have also been confirmed as true to variety by experts using visual observations, DNA-based testing or both.
Protocol 2010	Qualifies for Protocol 2010.
Source	Thompson Seedless 06 (Victorian Plant Research Institute, Burnley, Victoria, Australia)
Treatments	Heat treatment 83 days; microshoot tip tissue culture therapy
Comments	This selection was imported to Davis in November, 1970, from the Victorian Plant Research Institute, Burnley, Victoria, Australia (USDA Plant Identification no. 364291. The clonal designation was CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific Industry Research Organization) H5 ScHs. The original material underwent heat treatment for 83 days. After completion of index testing, the selection was planted in 1975 in the old FPS foundation vineyard and the Tyree Vineyard, a vineyard on the UC Davis campus managed by the UC Davis Department of Viticulture & Enology. The heat treated material was known as Thompson Seedless 06. Former University of California Viticulture Extension Specialist Pete Christensen recommended that this selection be cleaned up for the state certification program. The heat treated material then underwent microshoot tip tissue culture therapy in 1996. Two new selections were created in this process - Thompson Seedless 07 and 08. After successful completion of testing for the California Grapevine Registration & Certification Program, the newly treated Thompson Seedless 07 and 08 were planted in the FPS Classic Foundation Vineyard in 2000.
	Thompson Seedless 09 Top
Registration Status	Registered Registered is the ultimate status in the California Department of Food & Agricultures Grapevine Registration & Certification Program. Registered selections have successfully completed all disease testing required by the regulations. Registered selections have also been confirmed as true to variety by experts using visual observations, DNA-based testing or both.
Protocol 2010	Qualifies for Protocol 2010.
Source	Kearney Agricultural Center in Parlier, California
Treatments	Microshoot tip tissue culture therapy
Comments	This selection came to Foundation Plant Services in 1996 from the University of California, Kearney Agricultural Center in Parlier, California. The plant material, assigned the name B7-7, was under evaluation at KAC by former Viticulture Extension Specialist Pete Christensen. The original material underwent microshoot tip tissue culture therapy at FPS in 1996. After successful completion of testing for the California Grapevine Registration & Certification Program, the material was planted in the FPS Classic Foundation Vineyard in 2003 as Thompson Seedless 09.

Grape Variety: Thompson Seedless

Thompson Seedless PhotosClick photo to enlarge

Thompson Seedless Selections Jump to Selection Thompson Seedless 02A Thompson Seedless 05 Thompson Seedless 07 Thompson Seedless 08 Thompson Seedless 09

Thompson Seedless Selections