GRAPE BREEDING IN YAMANASHI, JAPAN - PRESENT AND FUTURE

A grape breeding facility was initiated at the Yamanashi Fruit Tree Experiment Station in 1950. Main breeding objectives are to develop improved wine grape cultivars which are easy to grow under our humid climate conditions and have excellent wine quality. ‘Kai Noir’ is a red wine grape cultivar which is resistant to major diseases and to fruit cracking, and makes an excellent red wine. ‘Kai Blanc’ is a white wine grape cultivar which grows well and makes a fruity wine. ‘Summer Black’ is a triploid, seedless, dark purple black grape cultivar. ‘Kai Mirei’ is a triploid, seedless, yellow green grape cultivar. A polyploid form of ‘Pizzutello Bianco’, induced by colchicine treatments was confirmed by flow cytometry. Inoculation techniques for downy mildew are studied and resistant seedlings have been selected. DNA analysis using several SSR markers have been used to identify grape cultivars.