Preliminary Study On Introduction Of Muscadine (Vitis Rotundifolia)

Muscadine, Vitis rotundifolia, is native to the Southeast of United States. It is resistant, even immune, to many diseases and insects such as downy mildew, powdery mildew and Pierce's Disease. We can utilize these excellent characteristics by its introduction. Conquister and Alachua were two varieties of muscadine introduced from US. Studies were carried out on the morphological and agronomical characterististics, propagation and rooting of tissue culture, transplanting, and the relationship between Polyphenol content, Polyphenol Oxidase activity and rooting. The results showed that: 1. The optimal rooting media of Conquister cutting was founded 1/2MS + IBA 0.3mg/L, and the optimal rooting media of Alachua cutting was WPM + IBA 0.1 mg/L. 2. There was a significant effect from opening the culture bottle on leaf stoma relative opening, closure percentage and closure index during Conquister'seedling training. Opening the culture bottle during seedling training improved the survival rate. The survival rate was 90% after transplant, when the proportion of the peat, soil and sand in the substrate was 1:1:1. 3. The color of Conquister's shoot tip is mauve; the margin is light red with dense villus. The color of young leaves is glossy mauve. The shoot is semi-erect with medium silky villus and the internode is mauve. The mature shoot is filemote. The mature leave is medium cordiform with deep green color. The profile is flat with silky villus on the back. The numbers of lobes are 3 to 5; the upper sinuses are deep, open, with U-shaped base. The leaf margin has rounded serrations. The petiole sinus is a wide arch with a V-shaped base and the tendril is discontinuous and bifurcate. The color of Alachua's shoot tip is yellow green; the margin is light red, without villus. The color of young leaves is glossy yellow green. The shoot is erect without villus and the internode is light green. The mature shoot is chocolate brown with spots. The mature leaves are extremely small in reniform with deep green color. The profile is flat without villus on the back. The leaf is entire without lobe. The leaf margin has pointed serration. The petiole sinus is a wide ellipse with a V-shaped base and the tendril is discontinuous and non-bifurcate. 4. There was significant difference between different species and cultivars,but no correlation between PPO activity and rooting index. Phenol content had a negative correlation with rooting index, which suggested more phenol might increase difficulty in rooting. The effect of PPO activity on the rooting index is non linear, but polyphenol content had a significant effect on the rooting, while the PPO activity had little direct effect on the rooting, and influenced the rooting indirectly through the polyphenol content.