Institute for Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof

The Institute for Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof is breeding new cultivars with high resistance against pathogens of the grapevine, abiotic stress and concomitant first-class wine quality. Plant protection can hereby be substantially reduced. The choice of parent cultivars and their crossing stand at the beginning of the breeding workflow. Long-term cultivation tests accompanied by molecular biological and biotechnological research are necessary until cultivar registration.

work focus

• breeding of fungus-resistant grapevine cultivars with first-class wine quality
• gene mapping of resistance and quality traits
• development of genetic markers for simplifying resistance selection
• conservation and extension of a grapevine repository and coordination of the national grapevine gene bank
• production of international databases on grapevine cultivars, literature on viticulture and oenology and publication of the scientific journal VITIS

research areas

gene resources, gene bank

• collection, conservation and evaluation of grape genetic resources
• international harmonisation of ampelographic and ampelometric parameters
• database on genetic diversity of the grapevine
• tapping genetic resources for grapevine breeding
• information retrieval and political counselling
• international journal VITIS

grapevine breeding

• methods for early selection
• genome analysis in grapevine
• safety aspects of gene technology in viticulture
• breeding of resistant grapevine cultivars with first-class wine quality
• resistance towards grapevine pests
• grapevine physiology
• cultivation tests under different cultural practise
• evaluation of new treatment methods in must and wine
• evaluation of wine and must constituents