How Are Genetics Being Used To Find Ideal Grapes?

Love grapes? Maybe you are a traditionalist regarding flavors and taste. Maybe you like to venture into exotic fare like, say, cotton candy flavored grapes (there is such a thing).  No matter what your palate enjoys regarding grapes, know that chances are they are a product of traditional plant cross breeding.

“Classic breeding just crossing pollen with flowers and leading to searching out for that trait,” noted USDA molecular biologist Erin Galarneau.

She added it isn't just about flavor. Other important traits such as disease resistance and climate adaption. Are part of crossbreeding efforts. Galarneau is the grape culture curator for the Agricultural Research Services plant genetic research unit in Upper New York State. Cross breeding of existing grape germ plasm, whether among the over 1,400 sessions, available at the PGRU or wild grape varieties, allow for desired traits, but can now be done in less time thanks to resources beyond plant materials. 

“We have another term which is we are genetic resources, and this is where we're also curating not just the plants, but we're curating data,” Galarneau said.  “We're connecting what genes are involved with cold tolerance, are involved with flavor so that when a breeder is making crosses, they can use what's called marker assisted selection.  They can use these genetic markers to find what they want and what they don't.”

With the use of genetic resources, aka data in crossbreeding grape varieties.

“That prevents someone from having to plant 10,000 vines that they're going to have to wait three to five years to actually taste the berry from.   By using that assistance and that genetic information that we have been very able to process things a lot more quickly and they might only have to plant 1,000 of those 10,000 seedlings and those 1,000 have the prospect of becoming a new vine,” Galarneau added.

For comparison, in terms of how available genetic resources speed up the plant cross breeding process. 

“Historically, it could take over 40 years for a new grapevine cultivar to be released. Now we can bring that process down to 10 to 15 years. It still takes a lot of time working with a perennial crop, but it's a lot shorter,” Galarneau stressed.

This is also important to grape growers from this perspective; an ARS article listed cultivated grapevines among the most culturally and economically valuable fruit crops on a global basis.

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com