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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Davis, California » Crops Pathology and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #426374
Title: Grapevine adventitious root traits vary based on propagation method

Author
item DUDLEY, SAM - University Of California, Davis
item DIAZ-GARCIA, LUIS - University Of California, Davis
item UYEHARA, ISSAC - University Of California, Davis
item McElrone, Andrew
item CANNIZZARO, AVILINE - University Of California, Davis
item SHARMA, SADIKSHYA - University Of California, Davis
item BARTLETT, MEGAN - University Of California, Davis

Submitted to: OENO One
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/11/2026
Publication Date: 4/2/2026
Citation: Dudley, S.E., Diaz-Garcia, L., Uyehara, I., McElrone, A.J., Cannizzaro, A., Sharma, S., Bartlett, M. 2026. Grapevine adventitious root traits vary based on propagation method. OENO One. 60(2). https://doi.org/10.20870/oeno-one.2026.60.2.9599.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20870/oeno-one.2026.60.2.9599

Interpretive Summary: Commercial grapevines are usually grown on rootstocks derived from diverse grapevine species native to varied habitats in North America. These commercial rootstocks are used to successfully grow grapevines in stressful conditions. Characteristics (i.e. traits) of these roots systems are thought to be helpful for tolerating these stressful conditions and could be useful for breeding new material. Here we used a population of plants that come from the cross of two parental commercial rootstocks and evaluated how the propagation method (i.e. grown from woody stems or green stems) impacts how we interpret the heritability of these traits.

Technical Abstract: Development of new rootstocks is an effective strategy to continue grape production despite increased abiotic stress in a changing climate. We measured an F1 population derived from a cross between a drought resistant (110R) and drought susceptible (101-14 MGT) rootstock to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for root system architecture traits. We also compared traits and QTL between two propagation methods: hardwood and herbaceous cuttings. Plants were grown for 35 days and measured by destructive harvest and imaging, which provided 17 traits related to root system architecture. We identified two significant QTL for root system architecture traits for root thickness and root angle. Generally, hardwood cuttings had significantly larger root systems, thicker roots, and a higher ratio of lateral roots to adventitious roots, however genotypes did not have consistent phenotypes across propagation methods. This finding indicates that the interpretation of experimental results should depend on the propagation method used. We also found complex, multigenic control of root system architecture traits, which supports the use of genomic selection models for breeding. We expect these results to guide future research using young grapevine root systems and provide insight into the genetic control of root architecture in grapevine.