Grape Berry Shrivel: A Study of Anatomical and Ultrastructural Changes
EMSL Project ID
26713
Abstract
There is a great concern for new ripening disorder known as Berry Shrivel to grape growers and wine makers worldwide. The origin of this problem appear to be physiological disorder entailing shriveling of berries on a cluster as the berries enter the ripening phase. Berry Shrivel is known to affect both red and white varieties of berries. Cabernet Sauvignon is the major red variety reported to be affected so far. Berry Shrivel has been known to affect white varieties of berries such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Semillon, and Riesling. It appears that Berry Shrivel occurs in all vineyards managed under different climates. The effect of Berry Shrivel is economically disastrous for the grape growers and wine makers due to significant loss of yield as the affected berries become unacceptable for the wine making. Up till now there is no known origin or solution to this problem. The affected berries are low in sugar with high acidity. It is well known that sugars in the form of sucrose are transported to the berries via the phloem pathway. Because the shriveled berries taste very tart, hence low in sugar and the xylem hydraulic resistance increases in the berry after postveraison, we hypothesize that the berry shrivel could be related to a slowing down or non-functionality of the phloem pathway in the clusters affected by Berry Shrivel. Thus due to the urgency to solve this problem, we plan to explore the mechanistic basis of Berry Shrivel by examining the anatomy and ultrastrcuture of phloem of the peduncle, rachis, and pedicel of the entire clusters affected by Berry Shrivel. Berry Shrivel, a ripening disorder reduces fruit quality and yield. The exact cause of berry shrivel is not known. Perhaps a better understanding of the cellular details of phloem of clusters affected by Berry Shrivel will lead us to potential factors responsible for Berry Shrivel. The primary goal of this research is to examine phloem anatomy and ultrastrcuture using light and electron microscopy capabilities located at EMSL. Project Details
Project type
Exploratory Research
Start Date
2007-08-03
End Date
2008-08-03
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members