Ruggeri 225
| Variety Passport | |
| Country of origin: | Italy |
| Breeder: | Antonio Ruggeri |
| Variety number VIVC: | 10362 |
| Prime name: | Ruggeri 225 |
| Principal Synonyms: | Berlandieri x Riparia 225 |
| Year of obtaining / registration: | bred at the end of the 19th century, admitted to the Italian National Register on March 26, 1971 |
| Pedigree given by breeder: | Berlandieri x Riparia |
| Pedigree confirmed by markers: | Resseguier 2 x Gloire de Montpellier |
| Rootstock type: | Phylloxera-resistant |
| Data Sources: | Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC), Registro Nazionale delle Varietà di Vite (Italy) |
| Agrobiology | |
| Vigor: | very vigorous |
| Flower type: | male |
| Resistance to fungal diseases: | resistant |
| Root phylloxera susceptibility: | 1 point (highly resistant) |
| Leaf phylloxera susceptibility: | 4 points (highly susceptible) |
| Rooting ability: | high |
| Graft compatibility with Vitis vinifera: | high |
| Recommended soil types: | Cold, deep, loose or loamy (medium-textured) soils. |
| Ampelographic overview |
History of Origin and Agricultural Importance
Ruggeri 225 is a rootstock grape variety of Italian selection, bred by the breeder Antonio Ruggeri in Sicily at the end of the 19th century. In the National Register of Grape Varieties of Italy, the 225 Ruggeri rootstock was included in March 1971 under code 619 on the basis of a ministerial decree published in the Official Gazette (Gazzetta Ufficiale) in April 1971. The description and agricultural evaluation of the vine are based on the works of researchers Cosmo, Comuzzi, and Polsinelli, published in 1958.
The agricultural value of the Ruggeri 225 variety lies in ensuring the resistance of vineyards to the root form of phylloxera. The variety is distributed in the viticultural zones of Sicily. It is recommended for fresh, deep, loose soils or soils of medium mechanical composition (loams). The rootstock is moderately resistant to an increased content of soluble lime in the soil (exact data are not specified), possesses very high vigor, and exerts a strong influence on scions. Ruggeri 225 demonstrates good graft compatibility with wine and table grape varieties.
Recorded morphological features of the 225 Ruggeri rootstock variety
The recorded main morphological features of the variety:
- Young shoot (growing tip): the apex is moderately expanded, almost cottony, greenish-bronze, sometimes with pinkish tints. Apical leaves (1st–3rd) are expanded, elongated, almost cottony on top, velvety underneath, green with a bronze-reddish tint. Leaves lower down the shoot (4th–6th) are unfolded, almost entire, elongated, with a V-shaped petiolar sinus. The lower side of these leaves is covered with bristles, the color is light green, the veins are green with faint pink tints at the base. The petiole is velvety.
- Herbaceous shoot and tendrils: the shoot is curved, ribbed, velvety, greenish-brown on one side. In the herbaceous state, the shoot is polygonal, violet-brown on one side. Nodes are dark violet. Tendrils are intermittent, bifid, long, reddish-brown, covered with bristles at the base. Flowers are male.
- Leaf: formed leaves are of medium or large size, entire or with a faint outline of three lobes, slightly elongated. The petiolar sinus is V- or U-shaped. The leaf blade is slightly wavy; the upper side is intense green, slightly rugose and glossy. The lower side is green, with bristles on the veins. On the upper side, the veins are reddish at the base. Teeth are of medium size with a wide base, mucronate, fairly regular. The petiole is of medium length or short, covered with bristles, intense pink on one side, with a distinct groove.
- Mature wood: shoots are long, robust, branched, with an elliptical cross-section. The surface is slightly striated, with short bristles on the nodes. The coloration is dark brown with grey stripes. Internodes are medium (14–15 cm). Buds are pointed.
Nursery Agricultural Characteristics
225 Ruggeri has a climbing (trailing) growth habit of the vine and high vigor. Bud burst, flowering, and leaf fall occur in medium terms. Wood ripening is good. The variety is resistant to the root form of phylloxera and fungal diseases. In certain years, leaves are affected by the gall form of phylloxera. Cuttings root with ease.
In nursery production in Italy, the variety is produced in the "Certified" and "Basic" categories. In 2023, the production of rootstock cuttings amounted to 91,852 units of certified material and 6,640 units of basic material (in 2022 — 52,350 units). Material of the "Initial" category is involved in propagation. Officially registered clones of the variety in the national register: I-ISV Conegliano 1, I-V.G.V.A. 9, I-V.G.V.A. 12, and I-V.G.V.A. 13.