Inbreeding in the development of breeding material for Ribes nigrum L.

The development of breeding material is a fundamental stage in creating new cultivars with predefined traits. In research on Ribes nigrum L., inbreeding is a promising approach for assessing the breeding potential of parental genotypes, as it enables evaluation of the breeding value of parental forms. This study evaluated the progeny of black currant obtained through self-pollination. Superior parental forms and inbred genotypes were identified, and material for subsequent breeding stages was selected. The research was carried out in 2022–2025 at the Center for Collective Use “Genetic Bioresource Collection of Plants” of the Federal Horticultural Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology, and Nursery (Russia). Progeny derived from self-pollination of 40 cultivars and 5 selected forms distinguished by valuable traits were examined. The study included inbred seedlings produced by self-pollination conducted in 2015–2020 and planted in the breeding field in spring 2017–2022. The contrasting weather conditions during the observation period enabled a comprehensive evaluation of seedlings across a range of economically important traits. In most cases, the inbred progeny exhibited undesirable characteristics, including premature fruit drop, poor berry flavor, dwarfism, and susceptibility to pathogens. These traits were frequently expressed in the I₁ generation, while the economically significant attributes for which the initial forms were selected often remained unexpressed in the progeny. Nonetheless, several parental forms demonstrated breeding value, including the cultivars Litvinovskaya, Chernavka, Debryansk, Kipiana, Bryansky Agat, Tisel, and Ben Gairn, as well as elite selections 8-4-1, 8-4-6, 7-49-3, and 12-17. Comprehensive evaluation of the self-pollinated progeny allowed us to identify several plants suitable for further breeding. These include selection 1-91-01 (Sanyuta I₁), which combines resistance to leaf spot diseases and powdery mildew and produces up to 10 berries per cluster; form 5-43-01 (Litvinovskaya I₁), characterized by high field resistance to fungal diseases and dessert-quality fruit; and the inbred seedling 1-79-01 (Fortuna-17 I₁), which exhibits abundant fruit clustering and berries with excellent flavor (5 points). The best forms will be incorporated into subsequent stages of the breeding program.

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