Worldwide table grape production mostly relies on the cultivation of new bred varieties of seedless grapes with different shapes, sizes, colors and flavors to fit consumer needs. However, traditional farmers have grown numerous table grape varieties for centuries, as they provided a steady source of fresh fruit and raisins for local communities. These ancient living genotypes potentially store a genetic diversity that can be used now to ensure future table grape production.
Almería is one of the Spanish regions with an extraordinarily longer tradition in table grape production, and nowadays it is rather common to find old (some, centenary) vines grown in private farms and backyards. With the aim of adding value to this genetic diversity, ICVV researchers have characterized 220 old table grape vines from Almería, previously detected by the Grupo Ecologista Mediterráneo through the “Biodiversidad Domesticada” project, and in collaboration with IFAPA. The genetic analysis of these 220 vines differentiated up to 71 different genetic profiles, of which 37 were identified as known grapevine varieties. The remaining 34 genetic profiles have not been identified, and they might be table grape varieties with previous relevance for the economic development of the region. Besides, first-degree relationships support the local origin of many of these unidentified genotypes, as they were found to be descendants of other relevant table grape varieties in the Iberian Peninsula.
Altogether, this work contributed to add value to the numerous table grape varieties that have been traditionally grown in the province of Almería, as well as to the local grape growers that aided to maintain these genetic resources, whose conservation and characterization can be now key to ensure the sustainability of our vineyards.
These results have been published in Plants, People, Planet:
Tello, J., Galán, Á., Rodríguez-Torres, I., Martínez-Zapater, J.M., Rubio Casanova, A., Ibáñez, J. (2024). Genetic fingerprinting reveals how traditional farming practices aided to preserve ancient table grape varieties in Almería (southeastern Spain). Plants, People, Planet. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10537
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