Aromatic Characterisation of Malvasia Odorosissima Grapevines and Comparison with Malvasia di Candia Aromatica

Malvasia odorosissima is an aromatic grapevine (Vitis vinifera L., 1753) variety that is often confused with Malvasia di Candia aromatica (Vitis vinifera L., 1753), despite the genetic information now available on the pedigree and genetic relationships linking the two varieties. In an effort to offer a contribution to fill this gap, also from an aromatic point of view, free and glycosylated aroma compounds were determined using the SPE extraction method, followed by GC-MS analysis in two consecutive vintages. The results have for the first time provided the aromatic characterisation of Malvasia odorosissima. Geraniol and its derivatives were the most abundant set of volatiles. In contrast to Malvasia di Candia aromatica and the other aromatic varieties, Malvasia odorosissima showed a very small amount of glycosylated volatiles, thus expressing its aromatic potential almost completely. The abundance of free terpenoids in the aromatic profile of Malvasia odorosissima, even higher than in Malvasia di Candia aromatica, is a main feature for the oenological exploitation of this variety, which is on the brink of extinction. In addition, the presence of rose oxides, found solely in Malvasia odorosissima, renders its aromatic profile more similar to that of White Muscat. This result is consistent with the parent-offspring relationship linking the two varieties that was recently ascertained

In vitro propagation of Italian cultivars of Vitis vinifera and evaluation of genetic stability by SSRs markers

An in vitro protocol has been carried out for an effective propagation of six cultivars of grapevine, 'Lambrusco salamino', 'Lambrusco di Sorbara', 'Lambrusco Marani', 'Trebbiano modenese', 'Ancellotta' and 'Malbo gentile'. Nodal segments from greenhouse growing vine-stocks were used as explants. Different medium compositions were tested and the explants could be initiated on MS and MS ½ media supplemented with 1.1 mg L-1 BA. Subsequent cultures were carried out by growing the shoots on MS with 1.1 or 0.55 mg L-1 BA; BA was shown to affect positively the shoot length when applied at the lowest concentration tested. MS media, supplemented with 0.5 or 1.0 mg L-1 IBA, with and without activated charcoal (AC), were used for adventitious root induction. Shoots of 'Lambrusco salamino', 'Malbo gentile' and 'Trebbiano modenese' rooted in all conditions with some qualitative differences. Rooting appeared to be greatly stimulated by 1 mg L-1 IBA plus AC in 'Lambrusco Marani', and without AC in 'Ancellotta'. In 'Lambrusco di Sorbara', a cultivar recalcitrant to rooting, we managed to stimulate the root formation on MS ½ supplemented with 1 mg L-1 IBA and deprived of AC. Genetic stability, evaluated at the third subculture, and analyses of nine microsatellite loci showed an unvaried genetic profile between micropropagated shoots and adult trees from which explants were taken

In vitro propagation of Italian cultivars of Vitis vinifera and evaluation of genetic stability of the micropropagated plants

Because of its geographic, historical and cultural complexity, Italy has always been a country rich in biodiversity and agronomic genetic resources. Despite the wine-producing industries are nowadays addressing to select and employ relatively few and very productive grapevine varieties, well-known in the international market, there is still a wide heritage of so-called “minor cultivars”, strictly linked to a specific geographic area. This requires pointed actions for exploitation and promotion of the regional genotypes and their in situ and ex situ conservation. The aim of the present study was to set up effective protocols to micropropagate grapevine varieties typically cultivated in Modena and Reggio Emilia provinces (Northern part of Italy), for the ex situ conservation of germplasm. Six varieties have been studied: three genotypes of Lambrusco (L. salamino, L. Sorbara and L. Marani), one cultivar with white berries, Trebbiano modenese, used for the production of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, Malbo gentile and Ancellotta. Winter branches with dormant buds were forced in a growth chamber at about 25°C, for a 12 h photoperiod. The developed green shoots were used as explants sources, consisting in nodal segments with a single axillary bud. Explants were placed in culture on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) and MS half strength (MS ½), added with sucrose (30 g L-1), agar (6 g L-1) and 1.1 mg L-1 of benzyladenine (BA). The genetic stability of the micropropagated plantlets was evaluated after three subcultures, analyzing nine microsatellite loci, commonly used as genetic markers of grapevine varieties and accessions. MS ½ demonstrated to prevent vitrification in three cultivars, L. Sorbara, Malbo gentile, Trebbiano modenese, and to increase the percentage of productive explants in L. Sorbara. A reduced concentration of BA (0.55 mg L-1), applied during the following multiplication phase, proved to promote shoots elongation in all genotypes, except Malbo gentile and L. Salamino. Three media with different indol butirryc acid (IBA) concentration and presence/absence of Activated Carbon (AC) were tested for rooting. Good results, in terms of percentage of rooted shoots, were obtained for each cultivar in all the tested culture conditions, although some modifications seemed to improve the root development: L. Sorbara showed an increase of rooted shoots when it was cultured on MS ½ and the addiction of AC in the culture medium prevented shoot browning in Malbo gentile, Trebbiano modenese and Lambrusco Marani. In vitro growing plantlets of the six cultivars showed the same profile as the adult trees from which explants have been taken, confirming the genetic stability of the micropropagated material

L’ABC delle Biotecnologie

l'articolo propone una rassegna dei pro e contro dell'utilizzo delle biotecnologie applicate al campo agrario e delle innovazioni tecnologiche e scientifiche che si stanno realizzando in questo settore

risorse genetiche della vite in Caucaso e nel Mar Nero.

La biodiversità viticola nelle regioni del Caucaso e del Mar Nero settentrionale è molto importante: queste aree sono da sempre riconosciute come uno dei centri primari di domesticazione (se non l’unico centro) per la vite e della nascita della viticoltur

Chloroplast SSR markers to assess DNA diversity in wild and cultivated grapevines.

This work defines the protocol and usefulness of chloroplast microsatellite markers to characterise Vitis vinifera cultivated and silvestris accessions. In the frame of conservation genetics and domestication studies

Chloroplast and nuclear DNA markers to characterize cultivated and spontaneous Ribes

Nine universal cpSSR markers were tested on a representative group of cultivated accessions and spontaneous ribespopulations. All primer combinations, with the exception of ccmp8, underwent amplification. Monomorphic alleles weredetected at the ccmp2, ccmp3, ccmp4, ccmp5, ccmp7, ccmp9 primer pairs. Two and four polymorphic alleles were observedat the ccmp6 and ccmp10 loci, respectively. These six alleles combined in five different haplotypes, two of which were foundin the cultivated accessions, and three only in the spontaneous populations. AFLP analysis was also performed to betterdefine the relationships among cultivated and spontaneous varieties, and to compare nuclear markers with chloroplastmicrosatellites. AFLP data were able to distinguish clearly all cultivars, while in spontaneous populations the detectedpolymorphisms were too low. In conclusion, cpSSR markers can be considered useful in the characterisation of ribesaccessions. Thus, the combination of this tool with nuclear markers, such as AFLP, could help in distinguishing andcharacterising each cultivated accession, and in defining population genetic parameters in the study of spontaneous Ribesspecie

Salvaguardia della diversità frutticola e delle tradizioni alimentari: casi-studio nel territorio di Reggio Emilia

Salvaguardia della diversità frutticola e delle tradizioni alimentari: casi-studio nel territorio di Reggio Emili

Recupero e valorizzazione di varietà di fruttiferi e usi tradizionali nell’Appennino reggiano

Recupero e valorizzazione di varietà di fruttiferi e usi tradizionali nell’Appennino reggian

Georgian native grapevine varieties Alexandrouli Dzveli Alexandrouli and mudjouretouli: description , genetic relationship and hypotheses about their origin.

Three Georgian native grape cultivars, ‘Alexandrouli’, ‘Dzveli Alexandrouli’ and ‘Mujuretuli’ (Vitis viniferaL.), widely grown in the Racha province of western Georgia, were investigated by SSR molecular markers andchemotaxonomic, ampelographic and phenological methods. The investigations aimed to clarify genetic andphenetic correlations among the cultivars and to learn their possible genetic relationships. The results showed that‘Alexandrouli’ and ‘Mujuretuli’ are two phenotypically distinct clones with identical genetic profiles. Probably‘Mujuretuli’ originated in the Racha province as a mutant of ‘Alexandrouli’. On the other hand, ‘Dzveli Alexandrouli’is genetically and ampelographically distinct. Hence, ‘Dzveli Alexandrouli’ and ‘Alexandrouli’ can beconsidered as homonym cultivars. Results emphasize the importance of integrating genotyping and phenotypingmethods with ethnographic and written sources in germplasm characterization