Diseases

Powdery Mildew — Red Currant

Ribes rubrum L.

A fungal disease caused by the pathogen Podosphaera mors-uvae, primarily affecting young leaves and shoot tips of red currant. It is less aggressive than the infection in gooseberry and rarely infects berries.

In the reference 52 varieties crop Redcurrant, where this is mentioned in the description.

The disease is caused by the fungus Podosphaera mors-uvae (Schwein.) U. Braun & S. Takam. On red currant, the infection is localized on young leaves and shoot tips, causing the appearance of a white powdery coating. Unlike gooseberry, red currant berries are rarely and weakly affected due to the characteristics of the skin structure. As the disease develops, infected shoots curve, slowing their growth, and leaves become deformed, eventually being covered with a dense, dirty-brown coating containing cleistothecia.

In red currant breeding, resistance to the pathogen is usually assessed using field screening methods and scoring scales, as specific letter designations for resistance genes, typical of other crops, have not been identified. Most modern cultivars are characterized by high field resistance, and breeding selection is based on the use of resistance donors in intervarietal crosses.

General information about the subject — on the page Powdery mildew.

Sources8

Varieties of Redcurrant mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.