Research on some characters in black currant progenies

Abstract

Populations derived from selfs and crosses of a small number of black currant varieties with the variety Consort were analysed for various characters, viz. vigour, number of flowers, flowering time, ripening time, fruit-set, strig-length and berry size. Flowering began in the third growing year. In the next year the bushes could be assessed to best advantage. The results of the evaluations are:

• 1. The vigour of the selfed progenies showed, with the exception of Consort, a clear inbreeding depression as compared with the hybrid populations.

• 2. In the first year of flowering the number of non-flowering bushes in the progenies from Consort x Roodknop and from Wellington XXX x self was much larger than in the others.

• 3. The progenies from Consort x Roodknop and from Consort x self showed a large number of bushes with few flowers.

• 4. Later flowering seedlings were obtained only in the crosses with the later flowering varieties Seabrook's Black and Roodknop, and in the selfed progeny of Seabrook's Black (the one of Roodknop was lacking).

• 5. Later ripening seedlings were obtained only in the selfs from Baldwin and Daniels' September, both late-ripening varieties.