Genetic characterization and identification of the table grape accessions preserved in the living collection of Ain Taoujdate (Morocco)

Abstract

We have characterized the 60 table grape accessions preserved at the living collection of the Domaine Expérimental de Ain Taoujdate (Morocco) through DNA analyses. Genetic profiling based on 13 SSRs and 240 SNP markers identified up to 40 different genotypes, denoting a certain level of redundancy. This information was useful to detect many cases of misspelled accessions, some misnamed varieties, and several potential new synonymies. The comparison of these genetic profiles with international databases led to the identification of 58 accessions as 38 table grape varieties, half of them corresponding to obtentions bred in recent programs of table grape improvement. Only two accessions (named “Diamant Noir” and “Sultanine Rosée”) did not match any known genetic profile. We found that “Sultanine Rosée” does not correspond to ‘Kishmish Rozovyi’, the described pink-berried variant of ‘Sultanina’. Indeed, it turned out to be a grape variety not catalogued in international genetic databases that arose from the cross between ‘Sultanina’ and ‘Fokiano’, which we suggest to name ‘Sultanine Rose Faux’. Besides, the duo detected between the accession “Diamant Noir” and the variety ‘Moscato D’Adda’ suggests that it might correspond to the table grape variety named ‘Diamante Nero’ (‘Pirovano 57’ × ‘Moscato D’Adda’). We proved that molecular-assisted parentage analyses could be an efficient approach to suggest an identity for grapevine varieties that lack a matching genotype in international catalogues.