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Northeastern part of Anatolia is a gene center of grapevine and a wide diversity of Fox grapes grow here. Viticulture and some grapevines in the Black Sea Region (in the north of Turkey) are on the verge of extinction; several types and varieties grown in this region have never been described and did not survive till present. For the past 10 years vineyards and grapevines in the Black Sea Region have been studied. In the present study, eighteen grapevines of foxy taste grown in the Artvin and Rize provinces were described. An ampelographic description of young shoot, mature shoot, young leaf, mature leaf, berry, bunch and seed were carried out using the OIV (Office International de la Vigne et du Vin) list for grapevine cultivars and Vitis species. However, several other parameters of the cultivars were measured for evaluation. 163American or French-American hybrids of Fox grapes like Beta, Cynthiana, Mars, Venus, Concord, Delaware, Catawba and Niagara are grown on limited acreages in North America; they were derived from North America native Vitis labrusca and an unknown Vinifera, and were probably created by random pollination as a result of the 18 th century attempts to establish European vines in the U.S. Labrusca grapes are also found in colder regions of Eastern Europe. These species have relatively low sugar, low acid, low pH, soft pulp with thick skin, and few moderate-size berries per bunch; they suit best for fresh use and for jam, juice, wine, pekmez and jelly production. Fruit flavors are described as foxy or like passion fruit. Fox grapes (Vitis labrusca L.) are generally more resistant to fungal diseases than Vinifera species. They can be used as a rootstock in the areas where phylloxera disease is prevalent and can also be used in breeding programs with Vitis vinifera in order to impart its resistance (Winkler et al. 1974;Weaver 1976;Antcliff 1997;Çelik 2004). Furthermore, Hardie and Cirami (1997) reported that Labrusca grapes seem to tolerate acidic soil conditions such as those in Northeastern Turkey.Ampelography is a scientific branch focused on differentiation and identification of grapevine varieties and hybrids. As varietal confusions continuously occur, the importance of developing an identification procedure increases (Morton 1979;Fidan 1985). Ampelographic studies have been made since the 17 th century; the characteristics of many grapes were determined by different researchers in various countries (Kara 1990;Schneider, Manini 1994;Martinez, Perez 1999;Braykov et al. 2002;Zahedi et al. 2002;Russo et al. 2004). Determination of grape characters used to be based on "Descriptor for Grapevine (Vitis spp.)" prepared by the International Board of Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) in 1983; however, the latest list was developed in cooperation with Office International de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV) and the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) in 1997 (Anonymous 1997). The ampelographic studies in Turkey were first made by Oraman (1972); since then, the...

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The Anatolian region of modern-day Turkey is believed to have played an important role in the history of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) domestication and spread. Despite this, the rich grape germplasm of this region is virtually uncharacterized genetically. In this study, the amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP)-based genetic relations of the grapevine accessions belonging to the 2 economically important Anatolian table grape varietal groups known as V. vinifera 'Misket' (Muscat) and V. vinifera 'Parmak' were studied. Thirteen AFLP primer combinations used in the analyses revealed a total of 1495 (35.5% polymorphic) and 1567 (34.6% polymorphic) DNA fragments for the 'Misket' and 'Parmak' varietal groups, respectively. The unweighted pair-group method with arthimetic averaging (UPGMA) cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis (PCA) conducted on polymorphic AFLP markers showed that both varietal groups contain a number of synonymous (similar genotypes known by different names) as well as homony mous (genetically different genotypes known by the same name) accessions. Our results also showed that 6 of the Anatolian 'Misket' genotypes were genetically very similar to V. vinifera 'Muscat of Alexandria', implying that these genotypes might have played some role in the formation of this universally known grape cultivar. Finally, the close genetic similarities found here between 'Muscat of Alexandria' and V. vinifera 'Muscat of Hamburg' support the recent suggestion that 'Muscat of Hamburg' probably originated from 'Muscat of Alexandria' through spontaneous hybridizations. Overall, the results of this study have implications for not only preservation and use of the Anatolian grape germplasm, but also better understanding of the historical role that this region has played during the domestication of grapes.

Germination responses to temperature, medium and gibberellic acid (GA3) treatments were studied in kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa Chev. cv. Hayward) seeds. The seeds treated with four GA3 concentrations (0, 2,000, 4,000 and 6,000 ppm) were sown in trays with peat moss, perlite + heater humus and soil mixture and subjected to the temperatures of 20°C, 25°C, 30°C and 35°C with bottom heating, under controlled conditions. All the treatments significantly affected the kiwifruit seeds germination. Seeds sown in peat moss and subjected to the temperature of 35°C with bottom heating reached the maximum germination percentage (99.17%). Peat moss and 6,000 ppm GA3 treatment also had a high germination rate (79%). Moreover, peat moss caused an earlier start of germination than the other mediums and shortened the germination period. 1985;HASEY et al. 1994;VERMA et al. 1998;STRIK, CAHN 1996) also affect the germination and emergence of the kiwifruit seeds. As the kiwifruit cultivation has become an important trade in Turkey, growers needed to obtain more vines with seedling rootstocks suitable for water limited areas. The germination percentage of kiwifruit seeds was lower and there were unsatisfactory researches based on a single factor. Thus it was necessary to study a combined effect of several factors that would increase the germination of kiwifruit seeds.In the present study we tried to search out a combined effect of temperature provided by bottom heating, germination medium and gibberellic acid treatments on the germination of kiwifruit seeds under controlled conditions. MATERIAL AND METHODS Collecting the seedsKiwifruit seeds were obtained from soft, wellripened fruits of Hayward cultivar grown in the Black Sea Region. They were extracted by a low speed food blender, the liquefied pulp was washed away through a fine sieve with running tap water and then they were air-dried until they reached a 15% moisture content and were kept in 0.17 mmthick polyethylene bags in an open container at room temperature for the days prior to the beginning of the study. GA3 treatmentsSeeds were immersed in 2,000, 4,000 and 6,000 ppm GA3 (Berelex, Zeneca Ltd.) solutions for 24 h. The solutions have 7.3 pH at room temperature. The seeds for control application (0 ppm GA3) were immersed into distilled water with the same pH, temperature and time conditions. For each GA3 treatment, 1,800 seeds were soaked in twice their volume of solution. After GA3 application, seeds were washed with sterile distilled water, left to dry for 24 hours, and then dipped in a weak solution of bleaching powder for surface sterilization as indicated by SALE (1985). Germination mediumThe seeds were sown in the peat moss, perlite + heater humus and soil mixture in the 10 m long and 1 m wide trays with the set temperatures of 20°C, 25°C, 30°C and 35°C maintained by bottom heating. The peat moss (Klasmann-Deilmann Standard Form) had 75-80% water capacity, 15-20% water, 90-95% air capacity and 70-100 ppm dry density, and 6.0 pH. The perlite + heater humus...