Evaluation of blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) cultivars in Estonia

Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) is an important soft fruit crop in Estonia, grown both for processing and dessert.
The soft fruit collection at Polli Horticultural Research Centre of the Estonian University of Life Sciences (58°7’26”N; 25°32’43”E) has 123 blackcurrant cultivars.
Thirty four of the cultivars of Polish, Lithuanian, British and Estonian breeding programmes were evaluated.
Their phenological traits, winter hardiness, fruit yield weight and quality, and their susceptibility to antracnose (Drepanopeziza ribis Kleb.) and blackcurrant gall mite (Cecidophyosis ribis Westw.) were determined in the period 2011-2014. The best cultivars were ‘Vyčiai’ and ‘Elmar’; they had a good stable yield, large fruits, damage by anthracnose was relatively weak, and they had no gall mite damage.
Cultivars ‘Ben Dorain’ and ‘Bona’ had the lowest yield and the latter was susceptible to gall mite.
Good dessert cultivars were ‘Dainiai’, ‘Karri’, ‘Almo’, ‘Elmar’, ‘Vyčiai’ and ‘Mairi’, which had large fruits, quite good yield and no gall mite damage.

XII I8nternational Rubus and Ribes Symposium: Innovative Rubus and Ribes Production for High Quality Berries in Changing Environments

A. Kikas, A.-V. Libek

blackcurrant cultivars, yield, fruit weight, winter hardiness, gall mite

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2020.1277.20