This article discusses the consequences of the lack of breeding of grapes, in particular on wine production. Instead of sexual reproduction, which takes a long time and costs more money, grape vines are reproduced by breaking off a shoot and planting it. The author also discusses the prospect of using genomic selection/marker-assisted breeding in grape cultivation.
From what I've read, it seems that genomic selection is still relatively new, so it is hard to predict how effective it will be. However, this alternative is probably better than overspraying grapes that do not carry insect-resistent genes.
So I guess "promiscuous grapes" are the answer, eh? I remember reading about how this program cause the grapevine to nearly go extinct through much of Europe back in the 19th century. The French wine industry was able to recover by grafting French scions, as the grape’s shoots are called, onto sturdy American rootstock.
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