ISHS Acta Horticulturae 441: V Temperate Zone Fruit in the Tropics and Subtropics
REHABILITATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF NATIVE GRAPEVINE VARIETIES IN FOREST AND ARID AREAS OF TUNISIA |
| Authors: | A. Ben Salem, F. Ben Abdallah, M.L. Kchouk, A. Ghorbel, F. Askri |
| Abstract:
In 1881, «when the first french plantations took place (in Tunisia), we knew only that grapevine lived well under tunisian climate. Beldi variety, for example, produced a white wine of excellent quality» (Berger-Levrault, 1900). By now, european varieties have progressively displaced local types and new diseases were installed. Regression of native grapevine types was such that, in recent prospections, some of them were found only once. Nearly all grapevines showed degenerating symptoms related to different viral infections such as leafroll and fanleaf. In vitro cleansing was thus appropriate for a rapid and efficient recovery of the grapevine germplasm. Interesting was the fact that local grapevines were adapted to various undesirable conditions such as (i) non-irrigated areas, (ii) loosy soil culture (dunes) and (iii) salinity. These features might be used in a program aiming not only at the preservation of the national grapevine germplasm but also at maintaining or repopulating some regions affected by migrating pressures. Rebuilding traditional societies around this crop and others might be also the trigger for the development of various activities and a better conservation and sustainability of the overall biodiversity of poor lands. In this respect, we constituted a national conservatory of 60 collected native grapevine varieties, some of them occurring as escapes in private fields and gardens. Evaluation and use of the collection are already available and were mainly directed to:
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