VEGETATIVE AND YIELD COMPONENT CHARACTERISTICS OF MICROPROPAGATED MUSCADINE GRAPE (VITIS-ROTUNDIFOLIA MICHX)

Evaluations were made of the field performance of micropropagated (tis sue cultured axillary buds) versus conventionally rooted softwood cutt ings of muscadine grape, Vitis rotundifolia Michx. Trunk cross-section al area did not differ between treatments during three years of field evaluation following planting. There were no differences in leaf area and dry weight or shoot number in the two propagation types; leaf morp hology was normal with no apparent juvenile characteristics. Yield com ponents including flower number per shoot and inflorescence, fruit num ber, total fruit weight and yield efficiency were greater in microprop agated plants during the second year, the first year of cropping, diff erences diminished and yield components were not different in year thr ee. Performance of tissue cultured plants was therefore as good as, or surpassed, conventionally propagated plants during early vine establi shment.