Genetic diversity and relationships of Vitis vinifera L. in the south caucasus
Abstract
The South Caucasus is recognized as one of the primary centres of grapevine domestication and harbours an extraordinary wealth of wild and cultivated grapevine diversity. Understanding the genetic structure and relationships of this germplasm is essential both for conservation and for the valorisation of local varieties in viticulture, wine making and breeding. The objectives of the present study consisted of the exploration of grape genetic diversity and the investigation of genetic relationships existing in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Germplasm studied included 425 non-redundant accessions, genotyped using 24 nSSR-markers, from these three countries and from Western to Eastern Europe. The total sample set included 366 Vitis vinifera subsp. sativa varieties, 50 Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris individuals and 9 interspecific crosses. A Bayesian clustering analysis and diversity parameters revealed that Armenia and Azerbaijan share a common gene pool, whereas the Georgian gene pool is mainly independent, with few intermixes. First-order parentage analysis identified 208 first-degree relationships with 196 grape varieties (46%) being involved, while 231 genotypes (54%), respectively 180 (42%) sativa and 51 (12%) sylvestris did not show any genetic relatedness. Two reconstructed genetic profiles are proposed, suggesting that these are likely key ancestors within the Georgian gene pool. This treasure of genetic diversity from one of the cradles of wine culture holds immense potential for research and breeding with an unique cultural-historical background. Therefore, further surveys and research are essential for the conservation, sustainable management, and utilization of the grapevine genetic biodiversity of the South Caucasus.
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BibTeX
@article{rockel2026genetic,
title = {{Genetic diversity and relationships of Vitis vinifera L. in the south caucasus}},
author = {Franco Röckel and Kristine Margaryan and Vugar Salimov and David Maghradze and Gabriella de Lorenzis and Osvaldo Failla and Valérie Laucou and Thierry Lacombe and Rauf Asadullayev and Movlud Huseynov and Afet Huseynova and Reinhard Töpfer and Oliver Trapp and Erika Maul and Erika Maul},
journal = {Agriculture and Food Security},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1186/s40066-026-00645-5},
url = {https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05800269v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Genetic diversity and relationships of Vitis vinifera L. in the south caucasus
AU - Franco Röckel
AU - Kristine Margaryan
AU - Vugar Salimov
AU - David Maghradze
AU - Gabriella de Lorenzis
AU - Osvaldo Failla
AU - Valérie Laucou
AU - Thierry Lacombe
AU - Rauf Asadullayev
AU - Movlud Huseynov
AU - Afet Huseynova
AU - Reinhard Töpfer
AU - Oliver Trapp
AU - Erika Maul
AU - Erika Maul
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/17
JO - Agriculture and Food Security
DO - 10.1186/s40066-026-00645-5
UR - https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05800269v1
AB - The South Caucasus is recognized as one of the primary centres of grapevine domestication and harbours an extraordinary wealth of wild and cultivated grapevine diversity. Understanding the genetic structure and relationships of this germplasm is essential both for conservation and for the valorisation of local varieties in viticulture, wine making and breeding. The objectives of the present study consisted of the exploration of grape genetic diversity and the investigation of genetic relationships existing in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Germplasm studied included 425 non-redundant accessions, genotyped using 24 nSSR-markers, from these three countries and from Western to Eastern Europe. The total sample set included 366 Vitis vinifera subsp. sativa varieties, 50 Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris individuals and 9 interspecific crosses. A Bayesian clustering analysis and diversity parameters revealed that Armenia and Azerbaijan share a common gene pool, whereas the Georgian gene pool is mainly independent, with few intermixes. First-order parentage analysis identified 208 first-degree relationships with 196 grape varieties (46%) being involved, while 231 genotypes (54%), respectively 180 (42%) sativa and 51 (12%) sylvestris did not show any genetic relatedness. Two reconstructed genetic profiles are proposed, suggesting that these are likely key ancestors within the Georgian gene pool. This treasure of genetic diversity from one of the cradles of wine culture holds immense potential for research and breeding with an unique cultural-historical background. Therefore, further surveys and research are essential for the conservation, sustainable management, and utilization of the grapevine genetic biodiversity of the South Caucasus.
SN - 2048-7010
SN - 2048-7010
ER -