A report on Vitis riparia in Ontario, Canada

Vitis riparia, Vitis aestivalis and Vitis labrusca are wild native species in Ontario, Canada. V. riparia is more common in this area and tolerates the local weather and soil conditions. Some clones and hybrids of this species have been used successfully as rootstocks for grapes to improve winter survival and resistance to phylloxera, an endemic pest in eastern North America. 905 genotypes of V. riparia were collected throughout the sandy soil areas in different locations of 12 counties in Ontario: Brant, Elgin, Middlesex, Norfolk, Oxford Kent, Haldimand, Essex, Prince Edward, Hastings, Frontenac and Grey. The locations of the selected vines have been labeled in Geographic Information System (GIS). The ArcGIS program has been used to make the maps of their characteristics in these areas. Preliminary results based on IPGRI and UPOV descriptors show diversity in their characteristics.