Floridas New Fountain of Youth ! Dr. Norman C. Leppla University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Naples Children and Education Foundation - Wine Auction Naples Art Gallerys Wine Vessels Why Grapes? Worlds most valuable fruit crop 1012 th most valuable crop in U.S. Florida is the 2 nd greatest consumer of grape products in the U.S. But, Florida must import most grape products Floridas NEW fountain of youth! Grape Research at IFAS Health benefits Food Processing Integrated Pest Management Plant Breeding ALACHUA COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE "Helping people to improve the quality of their lives." Wine and Your Health ? IFAS grape research- native muscadines Food Science and Human Nutrition Heart disease and cancer- polyphenols Antioxidents prevent free radical damage Research from animals to humans Dr. Dennis Gray Dr. Jimmy Cheek Dr. Sue Percival Carol Leppla Pierces Disease The entire vine dies due to disruption of water flow in the trunk Pierces Disease Endemic in Florida and California Caused by the bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa Xylem limited and infects a wide range of plants Lethal to all Vitis vinifera varieties Transmitted primarily by leaf hoppers Pierces Disease Leaf Hopper Glassy-winged sharpshooter Homalodisca coagulata UF, IFAS, Mid-Florida Research & Education Center In Vitro Selection of Grape Rapid selection of resistant plants Rapid identification of novel proteins Rapid identification of useful genes Germination of Grapevine Somatic Embryos in Conditioned Medium Susceptible Resistant Susceptible Grape Plants from Embryos Resistant Pierces Disease Tolerant Vines Southwest Florida Horticulture Learning Center Dr. Dennis Gray & Jeanne Burgess