DISTRIBUTION OF THE MAIN PHENOLOGICAL, AG RONOMICAL AND TECHNOLOGICALCHARACTERS OF VITIS-VINIFERA L

In the grapevine collection of the ''Domaine de Vassal'' (INRA, France ) 5311 accessions belong to Vitis vinifera L. That represents 2236 var ieties and 1090 accessions which are still in process of being studied . After being described and identified, the viticultural performances of the varieties are evaluated. These data have been collected since 4 0 years and are now registred and joined together in a computerized da ta bank. So, it is possible to calculate distributions and repartition s for the most important characters of a great number of varieties (22 36). The origins of these varieties are very diversified and therefore this large sample can be considered like one of the best available re presentations of Vitis vinifera L. The distribution, average, modal, m inimum and maximum values of the following characters are presented: d ate of budburst, date of maturity, shoot habit, fertility, mean berry weight and mean bunch weight. The knowledge of the repartition of thes e characters is very useful to estimate the potentiality of seedlings and to determine the ''extreme'' varieties which could be used in diff erent programs of grape improvement. It supplies also a contribution t o a better knowledge of Vitis vinifera L.