Crop wild relatives as genetic resources – the case of the European wild grape

Schroder, S., Kortekamp, A., Heene, E., Daumann, J., Valea, I. and Nick, P. 2015. Crop wild relatives as genetic resources – the case of the European wild grape. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 905–912. Vitis vinifera L. ssp. sylvestris (Gmelin) Hegi, the European Wild Grape and ancestor of cultivated grapevine varieties (V. vinifera L. ssp. vinifera) is the sole wild grapevine species existing in Europe. This important crop wild relative (CWR) species is almost extinct, and persists only in residual habitats. Since these habitats are close to vineyards, this CWR species is endangered by hybridisation with its descendant crop and naturalised rootstocks that originate from viticulture. For this reason, we addressed two questions: To what extent have the remaining South German European Wild Grape accessions escaped hybridisation and preserved genetic identity? Second, what is the potential of this CWR species as a genetic resource for breeding in relation to several grapevine diseases? Using a set of highly resolvin...