Diagnostics of drought resistance in grapevine cultivars

Abstract

Background. The consequences of climate change have become one of the most important problems, affecting the yield and quality of grapes and wines. A relevant solution is searching for and breeding drought-resistant grapevine cultivars. Materials and methods. Five grapevine genotypes served as the material for the study: one local cultivar, and four hybrids of local cultivars with those developed by the Magarach Institute. The experiments were conducted on the Southern Coast of Crimea in 2023–2024. Results. The grapevine genotypes were analyzed for their responses to drought conditions in vivo (cultivation vessels) and in vitro , and the obtained data were compared. In response to stress, grapevine plants manifested a decrease in the length of shoots, leaf area, and yield. Drought resistance was shown by ‘Kok Pandas’, ‘Yantarny Magaracha’, and ‘Kefesiya Magaracha’. Conclusion. An integrated approach, combining the in vivo cultivation technique and the in vitro culture method, was used to improve the objectivity of assessing drought resistance in grapevines. As a result, cvs.  ‘Kok Pandas’, ‘Yantarny Magaracha’ and ‘Kefesia Magaracha’ were identified as promising for breeding drought-resistant grapevine forms.