• Home
  • News
    • Business
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
    • Legislature
    • Politics / Govt
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • The Bill Pollock Show
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support

Missourinet

Your source for Missouri News and Sports

You are here: Home / Agriculture / MSU Researcher studying immunity in grapes

MSU Researcher studying immunity in grapes

July 24, 2013 By Mike Lear

Missouri grapevines saved the European wine industry in the 1800s. Now a Missouri State University researcher is building on that work for broader results.

Professor Laszlow Kovacs (courtesy, Missouri State University)

Professor Laszlow Kovacs (courtesy, Missouri State University)

When a rootstock of Missouri grapevines were sent to Europe, they helped save that continent’s wine industry from a non-native pest that they were already immune to. Professor Laszlow Kovacs says that is inspiring as he now studies the grape’s ability to adapt to different conditions, which is built into its genome.

“The grape is an excellent model plant for woody perennial species, so for fruit trees for example, because it has a relatively small genome so it’s much easier to study the genome.”

Kovacs says agriculture is threatened by climate change, and says the answer to that challenge could be found in the grape genome.

“Wild plants already solved this problem because they adapted to different environments. Some plants are adapted to very, very dry and hot conditions. Others adapted to moist conditions. So, we have to figure out how these plants did that, what is in that genome that enabled them … what genes enabled them to live under these conditions.”

Grapes at Stone Hill Winery in Hermann (photo courtesy; missouriwine.org)

Grapes at Stone Hill Winery in Hermann (photo courtesy; missouriwine.org)

He says if it can be learned what makes grapes able to handle difficult conditions, that information could breed crop plants that will thrive in them. He expects to have some findings to publish next year.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Agriculture, News Tagged With: Missouri State University

Subscribe to our daily newsletter


Tweets by Missourinet

Sports

I explain why the touchback rule is fine as Browns fans are still complaining (PODCAST)

Thanks for … [Read More...]

Steps Patrick Mahomes must take to return in time for AFC Championship game

Reigning … [Read More...]

Chiefs tweet “HenneThingIsPossible” after advancing to AFC title game

Chad … [Read More...]

Second half surge pushes Mizzou past A&M

Dru Smith … [Read More...]

Blues pounded by Avs 8-0

The … [Read More...]

More Sports

Tweets by missourisports

Archives

Opinion/Editorials

TwitterFacebook

Copyright © 2021 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC