Rajasekharreddy Bhoomireddy,* Ramesh Pilli, Venkateswararao Kadium, Brent Trela, Collin Auwarter, Andrej Svyantek, and Harlene Hatterman-Valenti
*North Dakota State University, 1844 10th St N, Fargo, ND, 58105 (r.bhoomireddy@ndsu.edu)

To ensure superior wine quality and enhanced health benefits, it is desirable to maintain stability of anthocyanins and total phenolics in winegrapes. These compounds not only impart rich color and robust flavor to wine, but also include antioxidants that are beneficial to human health. However, ensuring their stability poses a significant challenge in North Dakota’s harsh and variable climate. Deciphering genetic control of these compounds is crucial to influence the astringency, color, and mouthfeel of the wine. An incomplete diallel population of 1064 individuals was used to examine the genetic basis of key compounds for total phenolic and anthocyanin composition that affect both health benefits and sensory attributes of wine. To understand the genetic variation responsible for these traits, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using 24,000 SNP markers. The GWAS revealed six significant SNP associations for anthocyanins on chromosomes 2, 5, 7, and 16 and three significant SNP associations for total phenolics on chromosomes 2, 6, and 11 over a period of two years. These findings will provide insights to understand the genetic factors affecting phenolic and flavonoid levels in winegrapes, offering a valuable resource for viticulture and enology, with potential applications for grapevine breeding for improved wine quality.

Funding Support: Specialty Grant