Summary
Attempts by earlier grape breeders to develop bunch grapes adaptable to southern United States through hybridization between bunch and muscadine grapes have failed. The few hybrids obtained were highly or completely sterile, possibly because of difference in chromosome numbers of the two types of grapes: bunch grapes have 2n = 38 chromosomes, muscadine grapes have 2n = 40 chromosomes. Two such hybrids known as ‘N.C. 6–15’ and ‘N.C. 6–16’ were made fully fertile by chromosome doubling with colchicine.
A small population of tetraploid seedlings was raised from the two colchicines-induced amphiploids. The tetraploid seedlings showed enough variation in percentage of good pollen and in vegetative and fruit characters to indicate that segregation of characters acquired from the two parental species,V. vinifera andV. rotundifolia, had taken place.
Recently, some breeders obtained seedlings from a few berries set on the2x hybrid ‘N.C. 6-15.’ Some of these plants have come to fruiting and have born large fruit bunches, characteristic specifically ofV. vinifera. Vines and fruits of these plants have shown certain characters of both parental species.
Results herein reported indicate that bunch-type grapes resistant to certain diseases and insect pests and adaptable to hot and humid regions in this and other countries may be developed.
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An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02971179.
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Dermen, H. Cytogenetics in hybridization of bunch and muscadine-type grapes. Econ Bot 18, 137–148 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02862710
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02862710