Blackcurrant Genetic Resources for Breeding and Sustainable Production

Abstract Blackcurrant ( Ribes nigrum L.) is the most widely grown berry crop in Latvia, with organic plantations occupying a large share of production. However, the fruit productivity is limited by the susceptibility to pests, diseases, and environmental stresses of grown cultivars. To identify sources of resistance, 19 local genotypes, including cultivars, breeding selections, and expedition-collected material, were evaluated for yield, fruit quality, and resistance/tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Considerable variability in the resistance of the tested accessions was observed. The cultivars ‘Karina’ and ‘Ritmo’ as well as the genotypes VI-2, GEN 233A, GEN 264 and GEN 645 showed the highest levels of resistance to pests and diseases. GEN 758 had good winter hardiness and frost tolerance while GEN 233A was additionally notable for its high nutritional value of its fruit.