Assessing the identity of the variety 'Pedro Giménez' grown in Argentina through the use of microsatellite markers

Pedro Giménez' is a white criolla variety cropped in Argentina, mainly in Mendoza and San Juan, being the most planted white variety destined for wine making in the country. Its origin remains unknown, as well as its relationship with Spanish variety 'Pedro Ximénez', mostly grown in Jerez, Spain. Previous works have probed that most of Criollas varieties existing in America at the moment, are the offspring of 'Muscat of Alexandria' x 'Criolla Chica'. The aim of the present work was to compare 'Pedro Giménez' with the Spanish variety 'Pedro Ximénez', and to establish its degree of relatedness to 'Muscat of Alexandria' and 'Criolla Chica'. Therefore we used a set of 18 nuclear SSR loci and 3 chloroplast SSR loci. 'Pedro Giménez' shared only 38% of the alleles under analysis with 'Pedro Ximénez', indicating that they are indeed two different varieties. In all 18 polymorphic nuclear SSR loci 'Pedro Giménez' shared 50% of its alleles with 'Muscat of Alexandria', while the other 50% of the alleles present in 'Pedro Giménez' were also present in 'Criolla Chica'. This data, along with those from the chloroplast SSR analysis, strongly suggest that 'Pedro Giménez' is the progeny of 'Muscat of Alexandria' x 'Criolla Chica', being the latest one the most likely female progenitor.

Tratamiento con ácido sulfúrico de semillas de la acacia blanca (Robinia pseudo acacia L.) cosechadas en Mendoza

The results obtained in germination test with seeds of "black locust" (Robinia Pseudo Acacia L) previously treated with sulphuric acid concentrated (d. 1.84) are given. Those test were made in order to get a good germination considering the water tight seed coat that those seeds have in a great percentage. The seeds were soaked in the solution for some minutes; the 180 and 210 minutes soaking (90 and 86.5 % respectively) gave the highest percentage and the fasted process of germination, which were higher than those obtained as efective by other researches. The test made would constitute another evidence of the effect of the locality of production upon the degree of water tightness of the Black locust seeds. The author suggests that the previous treatments of the seeds, the rusticity and quick growing of this species and the furrow system of irrigation so common in the zone will enable, perhaps with success the stablishment of woods of this valuable forestal species, by direct seeding.