Genetic Engineering of Grapevine and Progress toward Commercial Deployment - Transgenic Horticultural Crops: Challenges and Opportunities - page 322

TABLE 16.1 (continued)
Field Tests of Transgenic Grapevine

Country Species Traits Tested

AgriVitis/GenApps.(1997-2000) Rootstocks GLRV,.GFLV,.crown.gall.resistant.(based.

on.VCPs.and.other)

Anton.Caratan.&.Son.(2000+) V. vinifera Improved.product.quality

South Africa
University.of.Stellenbosch,.
South Africa

V. vinifera Traits.to.be.tested.unclear

No.submissions.for.regulatory.approvals.for.unconined.release.of.GE.grapevines.
have.been.noted.from.current.sources.

ISSUES RELATED TO COMMERCIALIZATION
OF TRANSGENIC GRAPEVINES

n atIve S pecIeS and G ene f low
Because. several. species. of. grapevine. are. endemic. to.temperate. and. tropical. areas.
of.the.world,.genetic.modiication.to.adapt. V. vinifera .into.such.regions.should.be.
studied.for.environmental.impact.on.native.lora.

Grape Speciation and Range
Vitis . is. divided. into. two. subgenera,. Euvitis . Planch,. the. bunch. grape. species. that. all.
contain.38.somatic.chromosomes,.and. Muscadinia .Planch,.the.muscadine.grapes.with.
40.somatic.chromosomes. 37,38 .Species.in.each.subgenus.are.interfertile.but.are.only.par-
tially.fertile.between.subgenera..Estimates.of.the.number.of. Euvitis .species.range.from.
28.to.43..These.are.separated.into.an.American.group.of.18-28.species,.an.Asian.group.
of.10-15.species,.and.a.European.or.central.Asian.group.of.one.species.( V. vinifera ). 37 .
Muscadinia .contains.three.species;. V. munsoniana .and. V. rotundifolia .are.native.to.the.
southeastern.United.States.and. V. popenoeii .Fennell.is.native.to.Central.America..With.
the.exception.of.muscadine.cultivars,.most.cultivated.grapes.are.either.pure.strains.or.
hybrids.of. V. vinifera ..Two.wild.subspecies.of. V. vinifera ,.ssp.. sylvestris .Gmel..and.ssp..
caucasis .Vav.,.and.one.cultivated.subspecies,.ssp.. sativa .D.C.,.are.recognized. 37

Potential for Environmental Risk
Transgenic.grapevines.that.contain.genes.to.make.them.resistant.to.diseases,.much.
like.native.species,.could.pose.the.possibility.of.environmental.risk.if.they.became.
invasive..It.is.important.to.consider.whether.there.is.potential.for.adverse.environ-
mental. impacts. from. ield. release. of. genetically. modiied. disease-resistant. grape-
vines..Research.should.be.accomplished.to.determine.the.characteristics,.rates,.and.
methods.of.gene.transfer.that.may.occur.between.genetically.engineered.non-native.
grapevines.and.cross-fertile.wild.and.agricultural.species.currently.in.the.environ-
ment.to.determine.if.the.GE.vines.or.progeny.produced.by.cross-fertilization.could.