State of the art in grapevine variety and clone identification through polymorphism in DNA molecular markers

Rapid and certain identification of grapevine clones is of topical interest in modern viticulture, especially with regard to the genetic control of propagation material. In the beginning of the twentieth century, a specific branch of research called “ampelography” was established to identify grapevine varieties, biotypes and clones. This type of genotypic identification of grapevines presents, however, some limitations. First and foremost, as the method is based on visual observations it is dependent on the subjectivity of experienced operators (ampelographers). Ampelographic description - based primarily on observation of the morphology of sprouts, adult leaves and clusters - is limited to adult plants during vegetative periods, and for this reason varietal and clonal impurities can only be detected some years after the planting of a vineyard. Thus, the availability of a rapid, practical, objective system to identify vine varieties is desirable to satisfy the need for quality control in nursery production, for legal protection of new selections, and as a fundamental tool to recover autochthonous vines with the aim of preserving biodiversity. In this context, as a support for the classic methods of varietal identification through morphological characters, DNA molecular markers are of fundamental importance.