The Best Parents in Breeding French Hybrid Grapes

Abstract

The establishment of a number of French hybrid grape varieties and the use of some of these in grape breeding at various experiment stations has caused an interest in their genetic background and certain breeding aspects. Among those features which are of interest to breeders and other students of the grape is the apparent breeding value of certain clones for use as parents in further crossing. Unfortunately, there is a general lack of information about the selections or varieties in this large group of grape varieties that have been good parents in the production of valuable offspring. It has been shown by other workers that certain grape varieties produce a higher percentage of meri. torious seedlings when used as parents than do other varieties. This principle has been confirmed with other fruit bearing plants as well, and there is no reason to assume that the French hybrid grapes are exceptions.