The two Vitis databases as tools for germplasm management Vitis International Variety Catalogue (http://www.dainet.de/genres/idb/vitis) European Vitis Database (http://www.dainet.de/eccdb/vitis/)

In 1983 the Institute for Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof started an inventory of Vitis species, varieties and genotypes existing in the grapevine collections world-wide. The resulting database, the Vitis International Variety Catalogue is accessible via the Internet since 1996, in which more than 40.000 variety names, belonging to approximately 18.500 varieties, are registered. Only 70 % of the 18.500 registered Vitis species, varieties and genotypes are still existing in grapevine collections, from which 35 % occur only at one location. Double conservation is imperative. lVIisnamed varieties, synonyms and homonyms impede the real estimation of the number of different and endangered varieties, Therefore within the EU-project Genres CT96 No 81 the European Vitis Database, where each accession is identified by its accession number, was established. Morphological descriptor data, photographs of different anatomical parts of the plant, agronomic traits are assigned, furthermore STMS-marker data will be assigned to the accession numbers as an additional tool for variety identification. Grapevine variety assessn1ent is the basis for an efficient germplasm management.