Evaluating wild grapevine tolerance to copper toxicity

•We investigate Cu tolerance and accumulation in Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris.•Effective concentration was higher in wild grapevine than in 41B rootstock.•Wild grapevine can be considered a Cu-tolerant subspecies of Vitis vinifera.•Plants from the contaminated site are more efficient in controlling root Cu content. We evaluate copper tolerance and accumulation in Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris in populations from a copper contaminated site and an uncontaminated site, and in the grapevine rootstock “41B”, investigating the effects of copper (0–23mM) on growth, photosynthetic performance and mineral nutrient content. The highest Cu treatment induced nutrient imbalances and inhibited photosynthetic function, causing a drastic reduction in growth in the three study plants. Effective concentration was higher than 23mM Cu in the wild grapevines and around 9mM in the “41B” plants. The wild grapevine accessions studied controlled root Cu concentration more efficiently than is the case with the “41B” rootstock and must be considered Cu-tolerant. Wild grapevines from the Cu-contaminated site present certain physiological characteristics that make them relatively more suitable for exploitation in the genetic improvement of vines against conditions of excess Cu, compared to wild grapevine populations from uncontaminated sites.