| Dr. Zhenhua Cui Validation of micrografting to identify incompatible interactions of rootstocks with virus‐infected scions of Cabernet Franc. |
Cui, Z. , Agüero, C. , Wang, Q. and Walker, M. (2019), Validation of micrografting to identify incompatible interactions of rootstocks with virus‐infected scions of Cabernet Franc. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, 25: 268-275. doi:10.1111/ajgw.12385
This paper details a study conducted by Dr. Zhenhua Cui who spent two years of his PhD researching at the University of California, Davis working in Professor Andrew Walker’s lab. His research was jointly mentored by Prof. Qiaochun Wang of the Northwest AF University in Shaanxi and Prof. Walker.
Prof. Wang is internationally renowned for his work with virus and viroid elimination with a wide range of horticultural crops. Zhenhua worked with Dr. Cecilia Agüero, a specialist in the Walker lab, who has been examining the role of grape rootstocks in virus-induced incompatibility and tolerance.
Dr. Cui’s research utilized tissue culture-based micrografting to develop a rapid and effective means of examining the impact of grapevine leafroll virus and the vitivirus GVA on the development of a successful graft union. Zhenhua compared micrografting with standard bench-grafting using dormant canes and green-grafting using herbaceous stems. This micrografting technique will be used to examine a population from a cross of Freedom (virus sensitive) x Rupestris St. George (virus tolerant) to better understand graft-union incompatibility and to accelerate the breeding of virus tolerant rootstocks
