12. Characterization of South-American grapevine germplasm: A morphological and molecular approach

MARTINEZ, L., CAVAGNARO, P. F., MASUELLI, R. W.

Crop Improvement and Biotechnology

Año: 2007;

[El trabajo no tiene Abstract (ver trabajo completo). En su lugar se adjunto la seccion "conclusiones"] South American Criollas varieties would have been originally-sexually propagated plants that grew in different environments for almost five centuries. Thus, currently, they show distinctive morphological traits as compared with most European cultivars. Despite the importance of vegetative propagation in maintaining cultivars in an almost identical state, recent reports of genetic characterization of existing cultivars have shown that mutations are frequent in grapevines and have had a role in generating genetic diversity [1]. Martínez et al. [45] demonstrated that five varieties produced variations in the number of repeats and Insertions/Deletions (InDels). Also, few single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found, showing that apart from the DNA polymerase slippage during replication, other types of mutations must have occurred. Therefore, sexual crossing, vegetative propagation and somatic mutations have been the drivers during grapevine evolution in South American germplasm. In addition, due to their tolerance to Phylloxera, Criollas germplasm were not affected by this plague by the end of the 19th century, contributing to the maintenance of diversity in South American Criollas germplasms.  It is crucial to conserve and protect this germplasm to be used in future plant-breeding programs, e.g., as a source of resistance against some biotic and abiotic stresses.  Moreover, these materials are of value for the production of regional wines, some of which have acquired international fame, such as the Torrontés Riojano in Argentina and Pisco in Peru. For the latter, different Criollas varieties are used to produce either aromatic (e.g., Italia, Moscatel, Torontel) or non-aromatic (e.g., Quebranta, Mollar, Negra) versions of this widely recognized liquor. Criolla varieties are the base of distinctive types of wines from America that could reach a unique position in the highly globalized wine industry and markets. The conservation, characterization and promotion of these germplasms, as well as of their enological products, may contribute to ameliorate further looses of American grapevine diversity, leading to the disappearance of local varieties in favor of traditional worldwide grown varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay or Syrah.