Center for Viticulture & Small Fruit researchCollege of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture

Florida A & M University

V. Colova(Tsolova)

National Clean Plant Network Program /Tier 2: GRAPE National Clean Plant Network – FY2010

Southeastern Vine Improvement and Distribution Program: Disease Free G1 /G2 Planting Stock for Viticulture Industry in Florida and Southeastern Region

Requested budget from NCPN Program FY2010:

Component #1: Diagnostic and therapy of economically important muscadine and Florida native hybrid varieties Budget : $ 93,850

Component # 2: Establishing G1- nuclear disease free planting block in protected environment (under screen) and sustaining the Foundation Vineyard (G2): Budget $ 107,416

Total Direct Cost t Requested - $ 220, 592

Total Received: 112,864

This program is focused to provide services to the southeastern (PD restricted) viticulture region by:

Producing disease-free muscadine and Florida hybrid grape varieties by in vitro meristem culture.

Conducting research on diagnostic for crown gall, viruses and Eutypain muscadine and Florida hybrid bunch grape varieties.

Assisting the clean plant extension and certification programs.

The program will help local grape and wine industry to grow and sustain as well as contribute to the development of national clean plant standards for muscadines and for Florida native hybrid varieties (NCPN Mission).

Short term objectives: Establishing and maintain 4.5 acres Foundation

Vineyard (G2) initially from 25 economically important Muscadine and Florida native hybrid varieties and rootstocks, originating from single source in vitro meristem culture

Establishing and maintain the disease free (G1) nuclear planting stock in screen house of single copy grapevines

Co-operators:

University of Georgia, Tifton: Dr. Gerard Krewer, Professor Horticulture, Extension is contributing his long term experience with muscadine growers and will be instrumental in determining the candidate varieties to be included in the foundation block and will lead the extension work with the Georgia’s nurseries.

Auburn University, Alabama: Dr. Elina Coneva, Assistant Professor, Horticulture, Extension link the Program with the specific problems of the Alabama and Louisiana grape industries.

Cornell University, Geneva: Dr. Marc Fuchs and Dr. Tom Burr, Department of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology assisting us with the diagnostic for viruses and crown gall.

Stakeholder Participants

Florida Grape Growers Association (FGGA)- serve as a framework of the Program in Florida.

Florida Viticulture Advisory Council (VAC)- provide financial support on a yearly contract base. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services/Plant Industry - key partner in developing and implementing the phytosanitary standards for grapevines and nursery certification program.

Sirvent’s Nursery & Vineyard, Florida – clientele and advisory board member from Florida.

Botom’s Nursery & Vineyard, Georgia- clientele and advisory board member from Georgia, the biggest specialized muscadine nursery in the region.

Grabowski Vineyard and Nursery, Texas- clientele and advisory board member from Texas, working with Blanc du Bois var. and other Florida bunch grapes.

Vine Improvement scheme Selected Mother vines-first

generation elite planting material from Best Management Block after 3-4 years of observation showing the best characteristics.

Elite clones improved planting material

Diagnostic and Therapy

Mother vines originating from single source in vitro meristematic tip placed on elongation agar media in growth room at 25C

Diagnostic and Therapy

After the tip elongated they are transferred to root initiation medium until they grow 5cm

Diagnostic and Therapy

Rooted plantlets were potted into 4” Sungrow mix soil and grown at 25C with 16/8 light: dark photoperiod in a chamber.

Diagnostic and Therapy

After one month the grapes are transplanted to one gallon pots and grown at 25C with 16/8 light: dark photoperiod in a chamber.

Pathogen Testing:

Cornell University – 18 viruses by ELISA and 3 viruses by RT-PCR

Cornell University – Crown gall

Eurofins STA Laboratories, Inc CA, for fungus’s and others using, microbiological culture, ELISA, PCR and RT-PCR depending on the pathogen

Mother GrapevinesVIRAL PANEL

Florida A & M University-Viticulture CenterFungal Panel

Sanitary Status to Mother Vines

Viral Panel - Results

From 14 ‘Mother grapevines’ only two varieties –Supreme and Magnolia shown positive reaction for Grapevine Leafroll-Associated virus 1

Diagnostic and traceability to the single vine source and preventive elimination by in vitro meristem culture propagation

Results

Some of the ‘Mother grapevines’ showed positive reaction for different fungal pathogenes,which are not dangerous for the plant

Combined all panels showed that 14 Mother plants are free from Agrobacterium vitis and Eutypa. Only 5 Mothers are free from Pierce’s disease and 12 mother plants are free from viruses.

Source BlockBMP vineyard CV&SFR

(‘mother vines’ after 4 years quality observations

Disease Elimination:In vitro 0.3-05. mm meristem culture

25 varieties:19 muscadines+2 rootstocks

+ 6 FL hybrid var.

Pathogen Testing:11 viruses+Eytypa, Agro, PD

Pathogen Testing: after 6-12 months growth

11 viruses+Eytypa, Agro, PD

Disease Free G1 Nuclear Planting Stock-1 copy in screen house

Foundation vineyard

Certified Block in Registered Nurseries

Certified Planting Stock for the Industry

Southeastern Vine Improvement and Distribution Program

Southeast Grape Certification

Program

Logic model:

Purcell & Hopkins Plant Disease Reporter 2003

Why Florida and SE are special ???

Eutypa

Pierces Disease

Crown gall

What we can grow?

Common name “Muscadine”, “Bullace”, “Scuppernong” is well known troughout the southern states as the original American wine or “ the first American grape “ and etc.

Noble var.

Fry var.www.plants.usda.gov/

It has very unusual exotic appearance. It grows in clusters, rather than in bunches, and its fruit resemble small plums, more so than grapes.

Vineyard-BMP-Blanc du Bois

Vineyard-BMP-Stover

Vineyard-BMP-Cynthiana/Norton

Appellations producing the most Muscadine wines:

North Carolina (State Appellation) - 254 wines labeled

Tennessee (State Appellation)Alabama (State Appellation) - 39 wine labels

Texas (State Appellation) – 321 wine labels

Florida (State Appellation) - 30 wine labels

America (Country Appellation)Georgia (State Appellation) - 149 wine labels

South Carolina (State Appellation) -Louisiana (State Appellation) - 22 wines labels

Arkansas (State Appellation)

What we have in common??? PD’s limitation and high disease occurrence due to hot and humid

climate Numerous legislative obstacles in the aftermath of the Prohibition time Long and rich history with failures in to the recent past Bright future and industry on a rise

What is helping us?

Muscadinia rotundifolia, Small is native to the southeastern United States and has been cultivated for more than 400 years. The discovery of high levels of anti-oxidant compounds in muscadine juices and wines has brought more attention to the muscadine grape, not only as an alternative cash value crop for the Southeast, but also as a new healthy food. (Colova et al., 2007)

1 .Growing markets2. Recent legislative changes3. Vacated land and transfer of resources fromthe tobacco industry’s settlement.

Industry need: What is stopping us?1. Lack of improved disease free planting material for

muscadines or completely absence of such for highly promising bunch grape variety like Stover and Suwannee or rootstock vines.

2. Growing industry, growing monoculture of the vineyards is coming at the price of even higher pest and disease occurrence.

Thank You!!!