Origin of Chardonnay clones with historical significance in Australia and California

摘要

Background and Aims The Chardonnay clone Gingin was imported into Western Australia in 1957 and has become one of Australia's oldest recognised Chardonnay clones. While its phenotypic similarity to other Chardonnay clones has been noted, its origins and relatedness to these clones remains a mystery. This study builds on previous Chardonnay clonal marker research to uncover the origins of Gingin. Methods and Results Samples of Gingin and clones suspected to be related to Gingin were sequenced and analysed in a marker discovery pipeline along with previously sequenced Chardonnay clones. Sequencing data for previously uncharacterised samples were also included. Clonal markers were identified for all samples and a new phylogeny for all sequenced Chardonnay clones was built which revealed that Gingin is related to other clones. Conclusions The results are consistent with Gingin being a selection of an old University of California, Davis/Foundation Plant Services clone called Chardonnay-1, from which the clone OF Chard was derived. It is also related to the clone Mendoza, but the origin of this clone is still unclear. Significance of the Study This study demonstrates the potential of clonal genetic markers for the identification of grapevine clones, and in helping to unravel their origin and to establish their heritage; in this example shedding light on a 60-year-old mystery and opening the door for authenticity testing of these important clones.