Pedigree Analysis of Modern Muscadine Cultivars Reveals a Narrow Genetic Base

Muscadine grape ( Vitis rotundifolia var. ) is a rare crop in that it has transitioned from wild fruiting plant to domesticated fruit within the past 150 years. Furthermore, this domestication process was carried out by just few institutions published copious records of origin and traits first selections, goals methods breeding programs, pedigrees releases. We thus have near complete record interesting crop. Early efforts made use fewer than dozen most which were collected coastal plain North Carolina South Carolina. This narrow germplasm base led increasing levels inbreeding recent muscadine cultivar To better understand muscadine, 54 cultivars released since 1970 examined. Only 15 founders (founding clones) identified appeared more two cultivars, five these represent open pollination events may not indicate addition new genetic material. By far used founder ‘Scuppernong’, 53 had an average contribution 22.8%. The remaining varied 0.9% 14.8% their contribution. Coancestry coefficients between averaged 0.18, but often much higher among fresh-market Analysis vine vigor as measured trunk caliper seedling progenies suggests coancestry greater 0.23 result below vigor. University Georgia program evaluating multiple accessions reduce increase diversity its germplasm.