South Africa Wine Research Projects

2. VITICULTURE RESEARCH NEW PROJECT

2.4 CULTIVATION ANALYSING INDUCED DIVERSITY IN A COLLECTION OF PINOTAGE PLANTS AFTER GAMMA IRRADIANCE P04000060-2024 Prof Melané Vivier, South African Grape and Wine Research Institute, Stellenbosch University and Ms Phyllis Burger, ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij, Stellenbosch Project is co-funded by the ARC-Infruitec-Nievoorbij Start date: 2024 AIM AND INDUSTRY RELEVANCE: Pinotage has only a few commercially available clones similar in viticultural and oenological properties. This project builds on the previous work done in 2017 and 2018 (optimised methodology to establish a gamma-irradiated Pinotage collection) and from 2019 until 2023 (irradiated Pinotage collection initially characterised). This project aims to expand upon these prior research efforts and perform viticultural and oenological assessments on selected groups of vines. This aims to pinpoint promising candidates for the clonal selection of Pinotage. The objectives for this project are as follows: • Develop a data management plan for the project. • Maintain and extend the field site where an irradiated population of Pinotage plants are kept. • Investigate the effects of gamma irradiance on the cluster, canopy, and wine quality traits of three Pinotage clones in a field trial site. • Select promising individuals for grafting to rootstocks for further analyses.

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SOUTH AFRICA WINE RESEARCH 2024