BREEDING OF RIBES AND RUBUS AT THE DIVISION OF FRUIT BREEDING, BALSGARD, SWEDEN

The main objectives of the breeding programme for black currants are: combined resistance to powdery mildew and gall mite, hardiness, suitability to mechanical harvesting, high productivity, self fertility, spring frost resistance or avoidance, adaptation to minimal or mechanical pruning and suitability for juice production.

Since fruit breeding is a long term project, it is important for the future to establish a sound cooperation between different breeding institutes in the world.
In 1984 black currant crossings were done at Michurin All-Union Research Institute of Horticulture for the cooperative programme with Balsgåard.
The seed lots were divided between Michurinsk, Balsgåard, and the Institute of Horticulture of Siberia, Altai Region.

The breeding work with raspberries has been concentrated on autumn-fruiting varieties.
Existing autumn-fruiting varieties usually start to ripen at the end of September in the southern part of Sweden.
At present, the main objectives in the breeding programme are early cropping during August, higher yields, improved quality, condensed ripening, an upright habit and resistance to fruit rots.

For blackberries the main objectives are to produce cultivars with spinefree growth habits, hardiness, early ripening and good fruit quality.

In cooperation with the Nordic Gene Bank a programme has been started for inventory and use of germplasm resources in wildgrowing plant material within the genus Ribes and Rubus.

IV International Rubus and Ribes Symposium

V. Trajkovski

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1986.183.12