Evaluation of Wild, Wine, Table, and Raisin Grapevine (Vitis spp.) Genotypes in Gedeo Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Grapevine is one of the major horticultural crops of the world with the cultivated area exceeding 7.5 million ha used for a myriad of products ranging through fresh table grape, preserves, juice, wine, and raisins. The main objective of this study was to introduce twenty-eight grapevine cultivars (ten wild, ten wine, four table, and four raisin grapes) into Gedeo Zone for the first time and ampelographically characterize them in Dilla and Yirgacheffe agroecological conditions in Gedeo Zone, Southern Ethiopia, from August 2018 to July 2021. Ten Vitis abyssinica wild grapevine cultivars were collected from Adama, Addis Ababa, Alamata, Arba Minch, Bahir Dar, Dire Dawa, Gondar, Hawassa, Jimma, and Jinka areas. Additional ten world class wine grapes were gathered from Ziway Castel Winery, and four table and four raisin grapes were also collected from Raya Horti Farm and Koka Vineyard at the same time. The experiment was a 2 × 28 factorial arranged in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications, and data were analyzed using the R-software. The analysis of variance revealed that the interaction of cultivar and location significantly (P < 0.001) affected grapevine plant height, leaf number, number of fruits per plant, and tendril number per vine, while grapevine trunk diameter, flower cluster, root length, and number of suckers per vines were not significantly (P > 0.05) influenced by the interaction of the two factors. Generally, the wine grapevine cultivars had lower canopy such as plant height, leaf number, number of tendrils, and suckering vines while these registered a higher number of fruits per plant, trunk diameter, flower cluster, and root length compared to the wild grapevine cultivars. The results of the present study suggested that Syrah, Chenin Blanc, and Grenache can produce high grapevine berry yield and wine quality in Gedeo Zone agroecology particularly in Dilla location. The wild grapevines collected from Dire Dawa, Arba Minch, Jinka, and Alamata were the potential candidates for the world class wine, raisin, and table grapevines which could open new frontiers in the future for Ethiopian native Vitis abyssinica wild grapevine breeding and genetic engineering that will help to move the national and international viticulture and enology industry forward. As the Ethiopian native grapevines are at the risk of total extinction, adequate conservation strategies are required. Breeding, detailed identification, and introducing the potential grapes in different regions of the country are needed. This finding represents a step forward in efforts to understand hybridization of Vitis abyssinica grapevine with Vitis vinifera and other new world Vitis species.

Figure 1

Research site (blue color = SNNPRS; red color = Yirgacheffe; green color = Dilla).

Figure 2

Response of plant height to grapevine cultivar types and research site locations.

Figure 3

Trunk diameter in grapevine cultivars and grapevine types.

Figure 4

Trunk diameter variation among grapevine types.

Figure 5

Grapevine trunk diameter in different growth locations.

Figure 6

Grapevine root lengths among grapevine cultivars and grape types.

Figure 7

Response of fruit number to grapevine types and growth locations.

Figure 8

Response of leaf number to grapevine types and locations.

Figure 9

Response of flower cluster number to grapevine cultivars.

Figure 10

Response of flower cluster number to grapevine types.

Figure 11

Grapevine flower cluster number in different research site locations.

Figure 12

Response of tendril number to grapevine cultivar types and research site locations.

Figure 13

Number of grapevine suckers in different cultivars and grapevine types.