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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » National Clonal Germplasm Repository » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #223655
Title: Ribes Bloom Phenology in a Diverse Field Genebank

Author
item DALTON, DANNY - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item Hummer, Kim

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/2008
Publication Date: 7/21/2008
Citation: Dalton, D., Hummer, K.E. 2008. Ribes Bloom Phenology in a Diverse Field Genebank [abstract]. HortScience. 43(4):1135.

Interpretive Summary: Cultivars of currants and gooseberries vary in crossibility. Separate plants provide pollen to maximize fruit production in commercial plantings. This means that two or more cultivars must be compatible and bloom simultaneously. Geneticists are also interested to know when flowers are open so that they can make crosses. The objective of this study is to document relative bloom time and duration for many different types of Ribes in the field genebank at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, in Corvallis, Ore. Dates of first, full, and last bloom were recorded in 1999, 2007, and 2008. Observations were recorded weekly on 317 cultivars of gooseberries, jostaberries, black, golden, ornamental, and red currants, including representatives of 60 species. A 40-day bloom duration was observed in pink flowering currants. These ornamental currants had the earliest bloom date and longest duration, and were followed by gooseberries, red currants, jostaberries, and black currants, which began blooming later and had shorter bloom duration. The latest flowering European gooseberries included ’Rokula’ and ‘Trumpeter.’ Black currants ‘Ben Alder,’ ‘Ben Tirran’, and three selections from the Five Aces breeding program in Maryland were among the latest flowering black currants. Flowering time varied between years, occurring 2-3 weeks earlier in 2007 than in 1999 and appeared to be linked to heat accumulation. These data will be useful to breeders for developing new cultivars and for growers to design plantings to maximize cross-pollination and fruit production.

Technical Abstract: Cultivars of currants and gooseberries (Ribes) vary in self-compatibility. Pollinizers are used to maximize fruit set of commercial plantings. For natural cross-pollination to be effective, two or more cultivars must be compatible and bloom synchronously. Geneticists have additional interests in determining flowering phenology of Ribes species for breeding. The objective of this study is to document relative bloom time and duration in a globally diverse Ribes collection in the field genebank at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, in Corvallis, Ore. Dates of first, full, and last bloom were recorded in 1999, 2007, and 2008. Observations were recorded weekly on 317 cultivars of gooseberries (R. uva-crispa), jostaberries (R. ×nidigrolaria), black (R. nigrum), golden (R. aureum), ornamental (section Calobotrya), red currants (R. rubrum), including representatives of 60 species. A 40-day bloom duration was observed in Ribes section Calobotrya. These ornamental currants had the earliest bloom date and longest duration, and were followed by gooseberries, red currants, jostaberries, and black currants, which began blooming later and had shorter bloom duration. Ribes hudsonianum var. petiolare and R. lacustre had the latest bloom dates. The latest flowering gooseberries included R. uva-crispa cvs.’Rokula’ and ‘Trumpeter.’ Black currants R. nigrum cvs. ‘Ben Alder,’ ‘Ben Tirran’, and three selections from the Five Aces breeding program in Maryland were among the latest flowering black currants. Flowering time varied between years, occurring 2-3 weeks earlier in 2007 than in 1999 and appeared to be linked to degree-day accumulation. These data will be useful to breeders for developing new cultivars and for growers to design plantings to maximize cross-pollination and fruit production of Ribes crops.