News Feed Forums Fruit and Nuts Grafted vs Own-rooted Vinifera Reply To: Grafted vs Own-rooted Vinifera

  • Christiaan

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    May 5, 2022 at 8:39 am
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    Hi Jaclyn,

    Super interesting question, I hope someone with more knowledge answers this, I have previously had the same question. My line of thinking was that with the modern varieties we have today we have already probably bred some “faults” into them. Maybe by selecting for specific traits and breeding them in we have bred some other traits out.

    For instance I assume in the wild type you would have had more genetic variability. So probably not as well primed to create a big harvest, but more of a all-rounder maybe (less fruit and blossoming but better root system to be more tolerant against root diseases and to be able to supply all the flowers and fruit it produces with enough water and nutrients). So maybe less flowers weaning off and less need for fruit thinning?

    So if my speculation holds, the question should then maybe be… has these genes been lost from the gene pool of the specific cultivar or just been switched off, and can good environmental conditions switch them back on. It maybe be possible via epigenetics, if the genes aren’t lost. Otherwise they would first need to be bred back in.

    So please take this as speculation, but this has been my thoughts about this (not an expert). But this is also probably the conventional way of thinking. We’ve heard great stories of plants becoming resistant to diseases and yields going up, via regenerative agriculture so it may be possible.