Status Report of Vitis germplasm in GEORGIA David Maghradze Institute of Horticulture, Viticulture and Oenology Georgian Agricultural University, 13 km. David Aghmashenebeli Alley. 0131. Tbilisi. Georgia 1. Importance of the Viticulture in the country According to the last national Agro Census (2004) there were 37419 ha of vineyards in Georgia in 2004. The total production of grapes in Georgia is given below: Grape production (Mt) in Georgia during last 20 years 1992 328000 1993 352334 1994 284500 1995 422400 1996 311300 1997 309100 1998 234496 1999 220000 2000 210000 2001 150000 2002 90000 2003 200000 2004 180000 2005 250294 2006 162500 2007 227300 2008 175800 2009 150100 2010 120700 2011 159600 Sources: http://www.fao.org/corp/statistics/en/ http://geostat.ge/index 1
Fig 1. Grape production in Georgia in the last 20 years Fig. 2. Grape production in Georgia during the 21 st century Most of the grapes are used for wine making purposes. Few are table grapes (about 1%). There are not made raisin in the country. 2
2. Collections or germplasm banks for Vitis Table 1. The main grape collections in Georgia Collection Year of planting Total no. of Old local Vitis Vinifera Other Vitis species Rootstocks Interspecific hybrids accessions varieties Skra 2 2008 440 440 440 0 0 0 Vachebi 2008 312 312 312 0 7 0 Telavi 2 2008 573 500 573 5 0 0 Jighaura 2008 780 500 780 0 8 0 Shumi 2006 271 179 271 0 0 0 Kindzmarauli 2005 400 400 400 0 0 0 Telavi 1 1987 146 146 146 0 0 0 Mukhrani 1986 181 181 181 0 0 0 Skra 1 1972 75 38 75 0 0 0 Number of plants per accessions of local varieties varies from 10 to 20 and for foreign varieties varies from 20 to 400 Holder of all collections are private bodies: Agricultural University, wineries, charity Centre The Dighomi collection, planted in 1967-68 and available in 2003 not exist more Six new collections have been planted in Georgia since 2003. Sanitary status still stays the main problem for several our collections due to leakiness of guaranteed funding for their management. 3. Status of characterization of the collections For most of collections the FAO-Bioversity Multicrop Passport Descriptors are completed. For Shumi, Jighaura and Kindzmarauli collections their preparation is in progress. In the Skra 1 collection all Georgian native varieties and 19 local breeding new varieties and forms have been characterised by OIV descriptors (48 descriptors suggested in COST project) in previous and recent year. Phenological observation is also organised in this year for most varieties in the collection. The photos of grape organs have been takes. 310 varieties from Kindzmarauli, Jighaura, Telavi 1 and Shumi collection have been characterised by IPGRI (1997) descriptors in 2010. 150 Georgian varieties from Gorizia collection (Italy) were characterised by 59 ampelographic and 84 ampelometric descriptors; Phenological records for 5 years were collected; Antocianin profiles for 84 coloured varieties were evaluated. 4. References of germplasm collections or databases in internet Vitis International Variety Catalogue (622 accessions) European Vitis database Local database of my institute: available in Excel format 5. Main varieties in the country 3
Table 2. The first 10 Georgian cultivars (Agro Census 2004) # Variety Ha % 1 Rkatsiteli (b) 19741 52,8 2 Tsolikouri (b) 6161 16,5 3 Saperavi (n) 3704 9,9 4 Tsitska (b) 2839 7,6 5 Chinuri (b) 955 2,6 6 Dzelshavi (n) 685 1,8 7 Mtsvane Kakhuri (b) 249 0,7 8 Goruli Mtsvane (b) 224 0,6 9 Alexandrouli (n) 161 0,4 10 Rachuli Tetra (b) 152 0,4 6. Table grapes In spite of consumption some amount of table grape in Georgia commercial plantation of table grapes is imitated in the country. The most plantations are available in backyards and grapes are used mostly for domestic consumption. Recently some companies like Khareba winery or AGRO Centre made plantation of Table grape. Table 3. Table grape varieties, recommended for cultivation in Georgia (The law of Georgia About Vine and Wine, 1998) Berry colour Recommended Varieties White Coloured Gorula Kartuli Saadreo, Kolkhuri, Muskaturi Rkatsiteli, Sakhalkho Tetri, Tbilisuri Karabournu, Khalili, Chasselas blanc, Tabrizi (sin. Ganjuri in Georgia) Budeshuri Tsiteli, Tskhenis Dzudzu, Tskhenis Dzudzu from Abkhazia Muscat of Alexandria Except recommended varieties private persons have other varieties too. 7. Selection or breeding programmes in course The recently funded programme not available. Our department is keeping in collections several breeding forms from previous programs, worked in Georgia in XX century. Twelve table grape forms among those can be recognised as candidates for registration of new varieties. 8. Clonal selection status Recently no one clonal selection program works in the country in spite of tradition of XX century. 9. Catalogue or reliable publication with a list of the confirmed synonymies The list of Georgian cultivars and rootstocks, recommended for cultivation, has been prepared in the framework of GrapeGen06 project, was published in the journal Vitis (Lacomber et al. 2011) and at the European Vitis Database. An official catalogue or reliable publication for all grape genetic resources of Georgia not available in the country. This information, but fragmentised, is available in scientific literature published in various period. 4
10. Number of endangered cultivars Exact number and precise list not known for this moment, while preparation of the list of new Jighaura, Kindzmarauli and Shumi collections is under progress. We just can do approximately calculation based on previous (year 2004) inventory of collections made in the framework of Bioversity International project: i) number of unique names of autochthonous varieties, protected in our collections ( Dighomi, Vashlijvari, Mukhrani, Telavi 1, Skra 1 ) was 300. ii) According to Ketskhoveli et al. (1960) total number of Georgian autochthonous varieties is 525. iii) So maximum 225 varieties can be recognised as endangered varieties. In reality this number is less for today due to large number of varieties protected in three new collections mentioned above. 11. Main international varieties cultivated Table 4. List of International varieties recommended for cultivation in Georgia (The law of Georgia About Vine and Wine, 1998) Berry colour Wine Grape Table Grape White Aligoté, Chardonnay, Pinot blanc Chasselas blanc Coloured Cabernet Sauvignion, Malbek, Merlot, Pinot noir Muscat of Alexandria 12. Main rootstocks used The main rootstock used in Georgia is Kober 5BB. Table 5. Phylloxera Resistant Rootstocks Recommended for Georgia (The law of Georgia About Vine and Wine, 1998) No Rootstocks 1 Kober 5 BB (Berlandieri X Riparia) 2 420 A (Berlandieri X Riparia) 3 41 B (Chasselas B. X Berlandieri) 4 SO4 (Berlandieri X Riparia) 5 101-14 (Riparia X Rupestris) 6 3309 Couderec (Riparia X Rupestris) 7 3306 Couderec (Riparia X Rupestris) 8 Rupesrtis Dulo (Monticola) 9 Teleki 8B (Berlandieri X Riparia) 10 Rkatsiteli X 420 A (Berlandieri X Riparia)) No32 11 Kharistvala Shavi X 420 A (Berlandieri X Riparia) No19 12 Rkatsiteli X Riparia Gloire No14 13. Use of microsatellites in characterization Microsatelites are used for characterisation of Georgian grape germplasm since 2006 (Maghradze et al. 2009) with collaboration University of Milan and INRA-Montpellier. At the beginning 147 accessions was characterized by 6 basic SSR markers. After of this 135 accessions - including 22 wild grapes from Georgia - were characterised by 20 SSR markers (Imazio et al. 2010). In this year 11 SSR markers were used for characterisation of 46 Georgian native varieties (Maghradze et. al. 2012) in the framework of COST project. 5
14. Sanitary status of the propagated material There is not any law or centralised regulation requesting obligatory checking for sanitary status of planting materials. But nurseries tried to keep materials free of virus as they can do by their self. For example like ARGO established virus testing laboratory; another nurseries have planted virus free mother materials for propagation. 15. Main reference publications related to Vitis varieties or clones Ampelography of the Soviet Union in ten volumes. Editors: A.M. Frolov-Bagreev for vols. 1-6. (1946-1956) and A.M. Negrul for vols. 7-10 (1963-1970). Pischepromizdat publisher. Moscow (in Russian) Cholokashvili S. 1939. Handbook for viticulture in two volums. Vol. 2 Ampelography. Ganatleba Publisher. 478 p. (In Georgian) Del Zan F., Failla O., Scienza A. (Editors) 2009. La vite e l uomo - dal rompicampo delle origini al salvataggio delle relique. 2nd ed. Italia. ERSA Gorizia. 999 p. (In Italian) Encyclopedia of viticulture. 1986-1987. In 3 volumes. Chisinau. Editions of Moldavian Soviet Encyclopaedia (In Russian) Javakhishvili Iv. 1934. Viticulture. In: Economic history of Georgia. Book II 2nd edition. Tbilisi. [ Works in 12 volume has been used - vol. V. 1986. Pp.303-618] (In Georgian) Katariyan T.G. (Ed). 1962. Catalogue of the ampelographic collections of the Soviet Union. Yalta. 493p. (in Russian) Ketskhoveli N., Ramishvili M., Tabidze D. 1960 (first ed.), 2012 (second ed.) Ampelography of Georgia. Georgian Academy of Science, Tbilisi, Georgia. 439 p. (In Georgian, Russian, English) Kikacheishvili R. 1963. A study of grapevine varieties of Kartli. Sabtchota sakartvelo publisher. Tbilisi. 266 (in Georgian and Russian). Maghradze D., Rustioni L., Turok J., Scienza A., Failla O. (Editors) 2012. Caucasus and Northern Black Sea Region Ampelography. Vitis (special issue). 489p. (In English) Mirotadze A., 1939. Grapevine varieties of Racha-Lechkhumi. Tbilisi. Published by the Research Institute of Viticulture and Oenology. 201p. (In Georgian) Mirotadze A., Bregvadze M. 1972. Grapevine varieties of Racha-Lechkhumi. Sabtchota Sakartvelo publisher. Tbilisi. 178 p. (In Georgian) Ramishvili M. 1948. Grapevine varieties of Guria, Samegrelo and Adjara. Technika da shroma publisher, Tbilisi. 321p. (in Georgian). Ramishvili M. 1986. The Ampelography. 2nd ed. Tbilisi. Ganatleba publisher. 620 p. (In Georgian) Stareoselski V.A. 1893. Grapevine varieties of the Caucasus Shorapani and Kutaisi uezds of Kutaisi Gubernia. Materials on the ampelography of the Caucasus. Vol.1. 20p. (in Russian) Tabidze D. 1954. Grapevine varieties of Kakheti. Technika da shroma publisher, Tbilisi. 425 p. (In Georgian). Tsersvadze N. 1988. Determiner of grapevine varieties distributed in Georgia. Tbilisi. 256p. (In Georgian) Tsertsvadze N. 1989. Classification of Georgian cultural grapevine. Tbilisi. Sabtchota Sakartvelo publisher. 93p. (In Georgian) 16. Occurrence of Vitis sylvestris in wild habitats Old autochthonous cultivars exist, but figures are not available. Not clonally selected material exists, while clonally selected materials are very few for Georgian autochthonous varieties, but figures not available. 17. Minor cultivars Table 6. List of minor cultivars in Georgia (by Agro Census, 2004) # Minor cultivars Ha. 1 Budeshuri Tsiteli N. 2 2 Chardone B. 1 3 Chasselas blanc B. 1 4 Dondghlabi B. 1 5 Jani B. 1 6 Khikhvi B. 1 7 Mgaloblishvili N. 1 8 White Muscate B. 1 6
18. Neglected cultivars In the materials of last National Agro Census (2004) are listed 42 cultivars, among which 32 are Georgian cultivars. If we shell take in consideration, that total number of old Georgian native varieties is 525 (Ketskhoveli et al. 1960), number of neglected cultivars, presented in repositories only or disappeared will be 493: this correspondents to 93,9% of the total germplasm. 19. Occurrence of Vitis sylvestris in wild habitats Vitis sylvestris still occurs in the wild habitats of Georgia, which was demonstrated by investigation of last years (Maghradze et al. 2006; 2010, Sharikadze et al. 2010, Ocete et al. 2012). 20. On farm evaluation and maintenance There are very few examples for on farm maintenance like Kakhuri Mtsvivani by winery Kindzmarauli Corporation in Kvareli district; Kisi by winery Khareba ; several local varieties by farmers of Elkana Association. This method of preservation need to be father improved in Georgia. 18. Realization of prospections There are not any specific projects for realization of these prospections recently. 19. Preservation of clones No particular attention paid to preservation of clones 20. Organizations responsible for grape germplasm There is not any specific organization responsible for grape germplasm like gene banks or coordinating activities in Georgia. Just Vice-President of Georgian Agricultural Academy G. Alexidze is the Coordinator of the genetic resources of Georgia. 21. National or regional programs or projects Recently is not any regional programs / projects in the country. 7