GM 6493 and GM 6494

The two varieties are interspecific new varieties created in 1964 by the breeder Vilém Kraus (1924-2013) in what was then Czechoslovakia. The white grape variety GM 6493 is a cross between Zarya Severa x Muskat Ottonel, the red grape variety GM 6494 is a cross between Zarya Severa x St. Laurent. Both hybrids contain genes from Vitis amurensis and Vitis vinifera. Both varieties are characterised by high resistance to both mildews and frost hardiness. Kraus offered some grapevine cores to Dr. Helmut Becker (1927-1990), then head of the Rebeninstitut Geisenheim (Rheingau), who recognised the importance of the breeding material and made selections. It was only here that they received their present names and also reached other institutes.

During later research, the director of the State Institute in Freiburg (Baden-Württemberg), Norbert Becker (1937-2012), wrongly assumed Saperavi Severny (instead of the correct Zarya Se vera) as the parent variety for the varieties GM 6493 and GM 6494. It was not until 2003 that his successor, Dr Volker Joerger, clarified this error. Due to its high performance, the seedling 6494-5 was selected from the GM 6494 variety and later propagated as an independent grape variety under the name Rondo. The variety GM 6493 was a crossing partner in the new variety Solaris, the variety GM 6494 in the new variety Bronner.

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GM 6493 and GM 6494

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