Missouri Grape Importation and Certification Program

The Missouri Grape Importation and Certification Program began in 1993 when a federal quarantine permit for grapes was issued to the State Fruit Experiment Station.  The need for new grape cultivars, particularly red, adapted to Missouri conditions with good wine quality, disease resistance, and cold hardiness is the reason for this project.    Selections, mostly from Eastern Europe,  go into quarantine for two years and undergo extensive testing for the presence of viral pathogens before being released for field trials.   Selections must then be propagated for planting in the research vineyard at the State Fruit Experiment Station and two other commercial vineyard sites in Missouri.  Eight U. S. regional test sites were selected for trials in 1998.  Viticultural and wine quality characteristics of the selections are evaluated.  Dr. Wenping Qiu directs the program and John Avery is the plant propagation specialist.

More about grapevine importation.               More about grapevine certification.