Characterization and Diversity of Indigenous Moroccan Grapevine Cultivars: A Morphological and Biochemical Study

Abstract

The Moroccan Levant is renowned for its diverse grapevine varieties, many of which are ancient and require thorough characterization and identification. Botanical characterization of these indigenous grape varieties can help resolve issues of synonymy and homonymy, which are common challenges in grape cultivation. Additionally, this study enhances our understanding of recovered germplasm. This study provides morphological and biochemical descriptions of 11 grapevine cultivars based on descriptors established by the International Organization of Vine and Wine. The objective was to describe the morphological and biochemical characteristics of autochthonous Moroccan grapevine cultivars using the most discriminative descriptors. Our findings highlight several distinct cultivars. Examples include Zbarjel, Bezoul awda, Fekass khal, and Boukhanzir. However, some cultivars, such as Taferialte chahba and Rjiel dib, exhibited strong similarities, raising questions about their designations and suggesting potential synonymy. The significant variability among cultivars makes it challenging to identify a single discriminatory characteristic. Nonetheless, certain descriptors such as cluster density, berry color, and polyphenol content were particularly discriminative. These findings contribute to our understanding of Moroccan grapevine diversity and underscore the importance of conserving and maintaining the originality of these cultivars.