New Horizons for Northern Grapes: BelSU Test Plot Registered as a Federal Grape Plantation

The university’s botanical garden, which serves as a research and educational centre, has recently had its test plot officially added to the Federal Register of Grape Plantations in Russia. This plot features 136 varieties of grapes.

Professor Mikhail Pokrovsky, head of the Research Institute of Pharmacology of Living Systems at Belgorod National Research University (BelSU), shared with the TASS News Agency that this milestone is crucial for introducing new grape varieties into commercial cultivation. Currently, only one grape variety is listed in the federal register for climate zone 5, which includes the Belgorod Region.

“The absence of registered varieties means that farmers growing unregistered grapes cannot access government support, such as subsidies for establishing vineyards,” explained Professor Pokrovsky.

To tackle this challenge and foster the growth of the grape industry in the Belgorod Region, university staff initiated extensive efforts. The first step involved preparing documentation to assign a unique registration number to the experimental plot in the Federal Register of Grape Plantations. The next step was creating a vineyard passport—a comprehensive document detailing the varieties cultivated, trellis lengths, and spacing between plants.

As Professor Pokrovsky noted, transferring planting material – such as grapevine cuttings – to a registered nursery is only feasible if the specialized plot for propagating mother plants is located on ecologically suitable land, free from diseases and pests, and if the variety’s identity is confirmed through genetic analysis. The seedlings must also meet state standards for root length, branch thickness, vine maturity, and other characteristics.

The university is also committed to genotyping its collection. Staff from the BelSU Research Centre for Genomic Selection, led by Eduard Snegin, conducted studies and issued certificates for each grape variety.

“Genotyping collections is a vital part of the registration process carried out by our specialists. Each variety receives a certificate of conformity that verifies its origin and varietal identity,” Professor Pokrovsky explained.

He further emphasized that these accomplishments are essential steps toward a significant goal: establishing a bioresource collection of northern grape varieties at the BelSU Botanical Garden. This work adheres strictly to legal norms and requirements.

“We are committed to following the legally correct path in creating a nursery for high-quality planting material. Bioresource collections are integral to state programs as they play a pivotal role in science, medicine, agriculture, and biodiversity conservation,” noted Professor Pokrovsky.

Inspired by the work of renowned Soviet agronomist Nikolay Vavilov, who collected wheat seeds globally, the project’s leaders aim to gather and preserve unique northern grape varieties.

The new varieties are expected to be added to the state registry within approximately five years. One requirement will be to provide genotyped seedlings grafted onto phylloxera-resistant rootstocks to the Anapa Zonal Experimental Station of Viticulture and Winemaking.