PULLMAN, Wash. – Understanding the grape genome in all its vast variety will translate into sustainable viticulture practices and a deeper understanding of wine quality.
Wine grape growers have been plagued by an economically devastating pest, phylloxera, which has necessitated the replacement of almost all vines with new ones grown on pest-resistant rootstocks. Fungal diseases are not only an economic threat but an environmental one as well, since heavy fungicide treatments are required to beat back the spread of powdery mildew.
Getting a grip on grape genetics requires not just the sequencing of entire genomes but detailed pictures of which genes do what. To get that information, scientists need a way to quickly grow sample plants that have been genetically transformed. Transformation means that a particular gene is silenced or added to the organism in order to learn what effect the change has on the plant.
Read the article in WSU News.