Texas A&M Project to Improve Muscadine Grapes

Texas A&M University will work with the University of Arkansas, the University of Georgia, and other institutions and agencies in a four-year, $7 million project designed to improve muscadine grapes for fresh market sales and wine. USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture provided funding for this project that will support grape growers in propagating new seedless muscadine selections for trials across the Southeast. The muscadine is a grape species that is native to Texas and prized for its flavor, drought tolerance, and disease resistance. Until now, its seeds and tough skin have limited the grape’s market appeal. This project will seek to crossbreed muscadines with common grapes to capture the best traits of both species. Muscadine grape trials in Texas will be planted in the spring of 2025.
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