Intergeneric and interspecific crossing in Vitaceae: an attempt for disease resistant types

Abstract

Wild grapes species are conserved, characterized and utilized at MACS-Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, in a crop improvement programme. In the present study, 20 species/ cultivars belonging to the family Vitaceae collected from different sources within India and abroad were used for making intergeneric as well as interspecific crosses. Out of 263 seeds obtained from 21 cross combinations, four hybrids were successfully grown from V. rotundifolia as one of the parents showed resistance against downy and powdery mildew. The hybrids were evaluated for eleven different fruit characters. These hybrids could be utilized as pre-breeding material in future hybridization programmes.