ABSTRACT
Currant and gooseberry breeding date back for centuries in both Europe and North America. Although some limited work is being done today in Canada, little or no university-based currant or gooseberry breeding is being conducted in the United States. The vast majority of Ribes breeding programs are based in Europe, where these crops are widely grown. With a long history of cultivation, the availability of many Ribes species not yet utilized in breeding, experience with pests and diseases, and rapidly increasing knowledge of Ribes cytogenetics, the prospects for improved currant and gooseberry cultivars are promising. The main goals in leading Ribes breeding programs are to
develop disease resistance, especially to powdery mildew, blister rust, reversion, and leaf spot;
develop resistance to black currant gall mite (a vector of reversion disease);
develop resistance to late spring frosts, particularly for black currants;
improve fruit and juice quality;
decrease variability in yields of black currants; and
improve mechanical harvesting characteristics.
