Special New Fruit Licensing (SNFL Group)
Special New Fruit Licensing (SNFL Group) is an international research, breeding, and licensing company specializing in the development, patent protection, and global commercial licensing of table grape cultivars. The company's primary research and innovation hub (SNFL Innovation Centre) is located in Cabezo de Torres (Region of Murcia, Spain), its North American division is based in Fresno (California, USA), and its breeding and testing network spans 18 countries worldwide.
History and Key Researchers
Special New Fruit Licensing was established within the Spanish family-owned agribusiness group AMC Group (later transformed into AMFRESH Group), founded in Murcia in 1932 and led by the Muñoz family (Álvaro and Antonio Muñoz Beraza). The company's breeding operations developed over more than 25 years within a vertically integrated structure—from hybridization and molecular screening to commercial cultivation and cultivar licensing across the world's major viticultural regions.
The foundation of SNFL Group's commercial portfolio was formed by the renowned California breeding collection of the prominent American geneticist and breeder Timothy P. Sheehan (died 2009), known under the breeding prefixes Sheegene and Blagra and comprising more than 20 patented cultivars. Additionally, in 2015, the company acquired rights to the Vitis breeding series originally developed by Israeli breeder Shachar Karniel.
To advance its own scientific school, SNFL Group launched the large-scale Grape Genesis breeding program in Spain in 2015, led by experienced geneticist Dr. Juan Carreño alongside his sons—molecular biologist Iván Carreño (head of the tissue culture and DNA marker analysis laboratory) and agricultural engineer José Carreño. In August 2023, following a transaction led by AMFRESH Group alongside investment funds EQT Future and Paine Schwartz Partners, SNFL Group merged with the American company International Fruit Genetics (IFG) to form the world's largest fruit-breeding alliance, BLOOM FRESH International.
Main Breeding Directions
- Advancement of the Sheehan collection legacy: Evaluation and commercialization of high-yielding, large-berried seedless cultivars featuring firm, crisp flesh and superior post-harvest shelf life (withstanding 6 or more weeks of cold storage).
- Breeding for pathogen resistance and abiotic stress tolerance: Development of new cultivars within the Grape Genesis program (comprising over 300,000 hybrids) possessing genetic tolerance to fungal diseases (downy and powdery mildew) and adaptation to arid climates.
- Enhancement of nutraceutical and flavor traits: Breeding varieties with elevated antioxidant levels, as well as cultivars with pronounced muscat, fruity-cherry, or clean sweet flavor profiles.
Most Notable Releases by SNFL Group
- Sheegene 20 (Allison™): A very late-ripening red seedless cultivar (maturing 2–3 weeks after Crimson Seedless) with large berries (20–25 mm) and a neutral sweet flavor, serving as a leading global standard in the late red table grape segment.
- Sheegene 2 (Timpson™): An early-to-mid-season white seedless cultivar with large berries (19–24 mm) and a pronounced muscat aroma.
- Sheegene 13 (Timco™): A mid-to-late-season red seedless cultivar with very large, elongated berries (20–26 mm) and a fruity-sweet flavor.
- Sheegene 17 (Great Green™): A large-berried, late-ripening white seedless cultivar.
- Sheegene 12 (Krissy™): A mid-season red seedless cultivar featuring crisp flesh and fruity notes.
- Sheegene 21 (Ivory™): An early white seedless cultivar with large, elongated berries (19–24 mm) and a neutral sweet flavor.
- Sheegene 3 (Magenta™): A mid-season seedless cultivar of purplish-pink coloration with an intense cherry undertone in flavor.
- Blagratwo (Melody™): A mid-season black seedless cultivar with large berries (18–22 mm), crisp flesh, and a harmonious fruity flavor.