DISTRIBUTION OF WILD YEASTS IN THE WHITE GRAPE VARIETIES AT CENTRAL JAPAN

Abstract

The distribution of wild yeasts was studied in 11 samples of grape varieties at 5 localities of different climatic conditions of Nagano and Yamanashi Prefectures in Central Japan. The yeast populations in 6 healthy samples ranged from 0.007 to 6.0×10³CFU/ml. In five samples of slightly injured grapes, populations were 110 to 1, 100×10³CFU/ml. Two hundred and sixty eight isolates were assigned to 12 species belonging to 4 genera. In 6 samples of grape varieties, Kloeckera apiculata predominated. In contrast, in the other 5 samples of 3 grape varieties, basidiomycetous yeasts (Cryptococcus, Rhodotorula, and other genera) predominated. Generally, basidiomycetous yeasts predominated in a late crop varieties from chilly climatic regions, and ascomycetous yeasts (K. apiculata) predominated in grape varieties from mild climate regions.