Use of Genetic Markers to Assess Pedigrees of Grape Cultivars and Breeding Program Selections

In a plant breeding program, an accurate understanding of pedigrees provides useful guidance for future hybridizations. However, plant breeder records occasionally contain errors which may mislead future breeding efforts, and there is considerable value in independently testing reported pedigrees. In this project, SSR markers were used to confirm or correct pedigrees for grape varieties from the Cornell breeding program and a few key varieties used as parents. As expected, most (20 of 24) reported pedigrees were confirmed. Recognizing a heritable null allele from Ontario, at VVMD25, was necessary for parent progeny analysis of several varieties. Suffolk Red and Glenora were shown to be progeny of Black Kishmish and not Black Monukka. The advanced selection NY63.0970.07 is a hybrid of Pinot noir, not Gamay, x Chancellor. Vignoles (Ravat 51) is not descended from the reported parentage of Seibel 6905 x Pinot noir.