Research on Frost Injury of New Romanian Grapevine Cultivars in the Winter 2014-2015

Abstract

An analysis of winter injury to 45 new Romanian grapevine cultivars for table grapes and for white and red wines was performed as a result of the severe winter 2014-2015, with minimum air temperature of -20.8 °C (on the 8^th of January). There were used 9 widespread varieties in Romania as controls. The research was performed in the plantation - collection of the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest (44°46’N, 26°06’E, 91 m). There was determined the viability of primary and secondary buds in winter eye. In relation to these low temperatures, a better resistance, assessed on the basis of the percentage of primary and secondary viable buds, proved the varieties: Napoca, Milcov, Greaca, Xenia, Şarba, Crâmpoşie selecţionată, Columna, Novac; as well as controls: Chasselas doré, Muscat de Hamburg, Riesling italian, Fetească albă, Cabernet Sauvignon. Varieties Călina, Transilvania, Triumf, Victoria, Blasius and Selena, proved to be sensitive to low temperatures. It is necessary to have a territorial distribution of cultivars according to their resistance to frost and the application of differentiated pruning to compensate the losses.