Biology and Genetics of Grapevines

The course, divided into two didactic units, aims to give the specific knowledge of biology, physiology and genetics of the vine on the basis of those acquired in the courses of Plant Biology and of Agronomy and preparatory for the course of cultivation technique in viticulture. In particular, the educational objectives of the teaching unit 1 (grapevine physiology) concern the acquisition of knowledge related to the following aspects of grapevine biology: autoecology, organography, morphology, anatomy, phenology and physiology of carbon balance, nutrients, water and of the maturation of the grapes. The teaching unit 2
(ampelography and genetic improvement) aims to provide students with adequate knowledge of the taxonomic classification of the vine species cultivated for the fruit and as rootstock, the origin, the identification and the varietal description, the processes of clonal selection and the develop of new grapes and rootstock variety by crossbreeding, techniques of varietal selection and evaluation of the genotype interaction by environment, the characteristics of some
national and international grape varieties and of the main rootstocks.

The expected learning outcomes concern knowledge of the basic biology specificities of grapevines to approach the study of viticulture. In particular the student will have to acquire the scientific glossary related to the biology, physiology and genetics of the grapevine. He/she will have to be able to describe the grapevine from the morphological and physiological point of view. He/she will have to know the origin and evolution of the varietal assortments (cultivars and rootstocks), the varietal identification techniques and the genetic improvement processes for clonal selection, crossbreeding and biotechnological.