future and innovation ] THE RESISTANT GLERA KNOCKS ON THE DOOR OF THE PROSECCO MARKET [by Vladimiro Tulisso ] After eleven years of research, 44,000 seedlings obtained from hybridisation, 8,000 of which were deemed suitable for planting in the field and then reduced to 200 because they were the only ones considered suitable for the process, four resistant varieties were obtained, all of which have the Glera grape variety as their parent. A ten-year-long commitment It is the result of the Improved native varieties programme (VAM, Variet Autoctone Migliorate) that the Rauscedo Cooperative Nurseries (VCR, Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo) in San Giorgio della Richinvelda (Pordenone) have been working on since 2015. As is well known, the aim of the research is to obtain grape varieties that are resistant to downy mildew, powdery mildew and other secondary diseases. The procedure involves the sexual hybridisation of Vitis vinifera with American and Asian species by pollinating the flower of one plant with pollen from another. In recent days, VCR presented the results of its lengthy selection process, offering tastings of the fermented and sparkling wines, which were met with widespread approval. For now, the four varieties from Rauscedo do not yet have a commercial name, but are identified by the codes Glera-R-VCR-2, Glera-R-VCR-4, Gleera-R-VCR-5 and Glera-R-VCR-7. Three resistant grape varieties selected by the Veneto Research Centre for Viticulture and Oenolo- gy (Centro di Ricerca in Viticoltura ed Enologia) and the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA, Consiglio per la Ricerca in agricoltura e l Analisi dell Economia Agraria), have been added to these varieties and identified with the codes CREAVe-7_3_8, VE 09_11_02 and VE 13_04_05. It will be necessary to wait a few more years before the new resistant vine shoots are available on the market, since the registration process is expected to be completed by 2030. For all varieties, the Vitis vinifera genome accounts for 90 95 per cent, with that of other Vitis varieties carrying resistance limited to 5 10 per cent. Typicity and oenological quality The new resistant Glera varieties, explained Yuri Zambon, director of VCR, have been selected in accordance with the sensory characteristics of the parent Glera, while also demonstrating the ability to adapt to different Italian growing areas. The prerequisite is to guarantee typicity and oenological quality. We are studying not only biotic resistance 7