Malegue 44-53
| Variety Passport | |
| Country of origin: | France |
| Breeder: | Vincent Malègue |
| Variety number VIVC: | 7171 |
| Prime name: | Malegue 44-53 |
| Breeding number: | 44-53 |
| Principal Synonyms: | 44-53 Malegue, Malegue 4453 |
| Year of obtaining / registration: | 1900 |
| Pedigree given by breeder: | Vitis riparia cv. Grand Glabre × 144 Malègue (Vitis Cordifolia - Vitis Rupestris) |
| Pedigree confirmed by markers: | Riparia Grand Glabre x Malegue 144 |
| Rootstock type: | Phylloxera-resistant |
| Data Sources: | Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC), INRAE (France) |
| Agrobiology | |
| Vigor: | medium |
| Flower type: | male |
| Active lime tolerance: | 10% |
| Drought tolerance: | resistant |
| Nematode susceptibility: | 3 points (low resistance) |
| Root phylloxera susceptibility: | 1 point (highly resistant) |
| Rooting ability: | high |
| Graft compatibility with Vitis vinifera: | high |
| Recommended soil types: | Fairly deep, hard limestone soils that do not induce too much chlorosis |
| Ampelographic overview |
Origin and agricultural importance
The rootstock Malegue 44-53 was obtained by the breeder Vincent Malègue in 1900. This rootstock variety results from the crossbreeding of Vitis riparia Grand glabre and 144 Malegue. The grapevine rootstock induces low to moderate vigor in grafts and ensures a balanced vegetative growth, while the initial plant development speed is moderate. It is characterized by a good affinity with grafts and promotes the production of high-quality fruit, demonstrating optimal results when combined with Grenache and Gamay. As of 2023, four official clones are certified in France: 120, 755, 1104, and 1161.
Ampelographic description of the rootstock variety Malegue 44-53
The main ampelographic features used to identify the rootstock Malegue 44-53 are:
- Young shoot (tip): the tip of the young shoot is closed, with a low density of erect hairs and no prostrate hairs.
- Young leaves: characterized by a slightly bronzed coloration.
- Herbaceous shoot: the green shoots have an elliptic to circular cross-section, with no erect or prostrate hairs.
- Adult leaf: small to medium in size, cordate, and entire, with an elongated main lobe. The leaf blade is smooth, shiny, involute, and spoon-shaped. The petiole sinus is open and U-shaped. A weak anthocyanin coloration of the veins is present, and the teeth feature straight sides. The lower side of the leaves displays a low density of erect hairs and no prostrate hairs.
- Flowers and inflorescences: the flowers are male.
- Woody shoot: the woody shoots are brown, with no erect or prostrate hairs.
Aptitudes for nursery practices
Wood production in mother vines is moderate, yielding between 30,000 and 50,000 meters of canes per hectare, and the shoots easily lignify by the end of the growing season. Cuttings demonstrate good rooting and grafting capacities. The variety does not absorb magnesium easily, which can promote the development of magnesium deficiency symptoms in grafts. Tolerance to lime-induced chlorosis is low to moderate—the grapevine rootstock resists up to 15% of total limestone, 10% of active limestone, and an ICP of 10. It is highly tolerant to the root form of phylloxera, moderately resistant to Meloidogyne arenaria nematodes, and susceptible to Meloidogyne incognita nematodes. The variety is well adapted to drought.