Evaluation of Commercial Black Currant (Ribes nigrum) Cultivars for Anthocyanin Content In Mature Fruit

A black currant cultivar evaluation trial was established on the Trout Lake farm in 2007. The farm is located in southwest Washington state, and is certified organic by WSDA. The field plots consisted of non-replicated rows 40 feet long for each of the 20 cultivars. In 2009 and 2010, samples of mature fruit were collected, freeze-dried, and analyzed for phytochemical benchmarking by HPLC fingerprint, content of total anthocyanins by HPLC and ORAC levels. The analytical testing was performed by using the methods that were developed and published previously by our laboratory. In 2010, in the third season after establishment, yield was estimated from hand-harvest of fruit. In 2009, total anthocyanins (TA) averaged 0.982% and ranged from 1.46 to 0.37% [n = 20]. In 2010, TA averaged 1.14 % and ranged from 1.95 to 0.45% [n = 19]. Relative rankings of cultivars for TA were similar in the two years [r = 0.827; n = 19]. In 2009, there was a negative correlation between average fruit weight [gms/100 fruit] and TA, with the smallest fruit having the higher TA content [r = –0.597; n = 20]. In 2010, estimates of fruit yield [total fruit weight/plot] averaged 2.64 tons/acre, and ranged from 8.63 to 0.27 tons/acre.