Nicola

Black Currant

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Titania' and 'Ben Alder'

Summary: The plants of 'Nicola' are taller than the plants of 'Titania' and 'Ben Alder'. The time of vegetative bud burst begins very early for 'Nicola' while it begins mid-season for the reference varieties. The upper side of the leaf blade of 'Nicola' is medium green with an absent or weak degree of glossiness while the upper side of the leaf blade of 'Ben Alder' is dark green with a medium degree of glossiness. Including the peduncle, the inflorescence of 'Nicola' is long while those of the reference varieties are medium in length. The time of fruit harvest begins early for 'Nicola' while it begins mid-season for 'Titania' and late in the season for 'Ben Alder'. The fruit of 'Nicola' is very large while the fruit of 'Titania' is large and that of 'Ben Alder' is medium in size.

Description:

PLANT: upright growth habit, many basal shoots, vegetative bud burst begins very early in the season, flowering begins early in the season, fruit harvest begins early in season

VEGETATIVE BUD: strongly held out from shoot, long, narrow acute apex, strong intensity of anthocyanin colouration, medium degree of glaucosity
YOUNG SHOOT: absent or very weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration
ONE-YEAR OLD SHOOT: brown

LEAF: small length to width ratio, weakly open base
LEAF (UPPER SIDE): medium green, absent or weak degree of glossiness
PETIOLE (UPPER SIDE): weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration

INFLORESCENCE: two to four per axil, long including the peduncle, medium to many flowers
SEPAL: medium intensity of anthocyanin colouration
OVARY: weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration

INFRUCTESCENCE: raceme type, medium range of fruit sizes
FRUIT: very large, black, strong degree of glossiness

Origin & Breeding History: 'Nicola' originated as part of a planned breeding program at McGinnis Berry Crops Limited, from a cross between 'Orlovskaya Serenada', as the female parent, and 'Titania', as the male parent, conducted in 2004 in Courtenay, British Columbia. The resulting seeds were germinated in a greenhouse, screened for symptoms of White Pine Blister (Cronartium ribicola) and selections were grown out for 2 years. The variety was selected in 2008 and maintained as potential breeding stock based on its growth habit. In 2018, further evaluations were initiated in multiple locations in British Columbia, Canada and Montana, USA and in one location in Oregon, USA. 'Nicola' was selected in 2020 based on yield, growth habit, disease resistance and fruit size. Since 2020, 'Nicola' has been asexually reproduced from hardwood cuttings.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trial for 'Nicola' was conducted in Chilliwack, British Columbia during the 2021 growing season with traits on dormant bushes being assessed late in the fall of 2020. There were four replicates per variety arranged in a RCB design. Each replicate consisted of 3 plants in a 2.7 metre row for a total of 12 plants per variety. Plants were spaced approximately 0.91 metres apart within the row with 3 metre inter-row spacing. Measurements were taken from 10 plants or parts of 10 plants of each variety. Mean differences were significant at the 5% confidence probability level based on a paired Student's t-test.

Comparison table for 'Nicola' with reference varieties 'Titania' and 'Ben Alder'

Plant height (cm)

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Black Currant: 'Nicola' (left) with reference varieties 'Titania' (centre) and 'Ben Alder' (right)

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Black Currant: 'Nicola' (left) with reference varieties 'Titania' (centre) and 'Ben Alder' (right)

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Black Currant: 'Nicola' (left) with reference varieties 'Titania' (centre) and 'Ben Alder' (right)