Blackcurrant

Blackcurrant is grown mainly as a processing crop, with the great majority of the berries going into juices, cordials, and other products valued for their strong flavor and high vitamin C content. Commercial production is concentrated in cool-temperate regions and is often highly mechanized.

Because fruit is borne largely on one- and two-year-old wood, pruning to continually renew young fruiting shoots is central to maintaining yields over the life of the planting.

Family

Grossulariaceae (currant and gooseberry family)

Genus and species

Ribes nigrum

Growth habit

Deciduous multi-stemmed shrub bearing aromatic foliage and strigs (clusters) of small dark berries

Fruiting wood

Berries borne mainly on younger wood, favoring regular renewal pruning

Blackcurrant is native to temperate Europe and northern Asia and has long been cultivated in Europe. Production is concentrated in cooler European countries, where the crop is grown at commercial scale largely for the processing market.

Statistics on planted area and production by country are compiled by FAO and national agencies and should be consulted directly for current figures.

Blackcurrant is a cool-temperate crop that is winter-hardy and requires sufficient winter chilling to break dormancy and flower reliably; inadequate chilling in mild winters leads to poor and uneven budbreak. Spring frosts can damage flowers, an important risk in early-flowering plantings.

The crop is best suited to regions with cold winters and cool, moist growing seasons rather than hot, dry climates.

Blackcurrant grows best on fertile, moisture-retentive loams and clay loams rich in organic matter, with a slightly acidic to neutral reaction. It prefers moist conditions but does not tolerate waterlogging, so drainage remains important.

Blackcurrant is propagated from hardwood cuttings and planted as bushes in rows. Establishment focuses on building a framework of vigorous young wood, and ongoing management centers on renewal pruning, weed and nutrient management, and protection from frost and disease.

• Certified, virus-tested planting material to limit reversion and other virus problems
• Renewal pruning to maintain a supply of productive young fruiting wood
• Weed control and organic matter to support the shallow, fibrous roots
• Frost protection in early-flowering situations where feasible

Blackcurrant responds to nitrogen for shoot growth and to potassium for fruiting and berry quality, and it is sensitive to some nutrient imbalances. Organic matter and mulching support the crop’s moisture and nutrient needs.

Blackcurrant has a relatively high water requirement during the growing season, particularly during berry development, and yield and fruit size suffer under drought. Irrigation is used where rainfall is insufficient, while drainage is maintained to avoid waterlogging.

Powdery mildew (American gooseberry mildew) and currant anthracnose (leaf spot) are important foliar diseases of blackcurrant, and reversion, a virus disease spread by the blackcurrant gall mite, causes serious, cumulative losses. White pine blister rust can affect Ribes where its alternate host is present.

Aphids distort foliage and can transmit viruses, the blackcurrant gall mite causes "big bud" and spreads reversion, and sawfly larvae defoliate bushes. Management combines clean planting material, resistant cultivars, pruning for airflow, and, where warranted, locally authorized controls applied according to their labels.

Blackcurrants are harvested when the berries are fully colored and ripe, by hand for fresh and premium markets and, at commercial scale, by over-the-row mechanical harvesters that strip the berries from the bushes. The fruit is perishable and is cooled and processed promptly.

• Juice and cordials, the main outlet for the crop, valued for flavor and vitamin C
• Jams, preserves, and other processed products
• Use as a flavoring and coloring in confectionery, dairy, and beverages
• Limited fresh-market and home-garden use