Chemical composition of berries of Yakut blackcurrant varieties for use in plant breeding

Abstract

The research findings on the nutritional properties of black currant berries in Central Yakutia are discussed. The research was conducted at the M.G. Safronov Yakut Research Institute of Agriculture from 2020 through 2024. The research targets were 6 local varieties and 7 selected hybrids of black currant developed in the Yakut Research Institute of Agriculture. The variety Yakutskaya was the control. The chemical composition of the berries was determined by near-infrared spectroscopy using the SpectraStar 2200 analyzer calibrated by standard chemical methods. The experimental data were processed using the Excel MS Office software package according to B.A. Dospekhov. The following genotypes with high content of dry matter in black currant berries were identified: the varieties Khara Kytalyk (15.29%), Pamyati Kyndyla (14.72%), Erkeeni (14.43%), and the hybrid 3-18-18 (Podarok Kuzioru × Myuryuchana) (14.11%). The coefficient of variation of the character variability by the years was low, ranging from 0.23 to 6.49%. The varieties Myuryuchana (11.49%), Yakutskaya (11.21%), and the selected hybrid 3-14-19 (Podarok Kuzioru × Myuryuchana) (11.20%) had increased level of total sugar accumulation in the berries. The variability of this character in berries was stable in the varieties Myuryuchana, Erkeeni, Khara Kytalyk and hybrids 2-8-18 (Ksyusha × Khara Kytalyk), 3-14-18, 3-15-18, 3-21-18 (Podarok Kuzioru × Myuryuchana). The average total acidity was from 3.37 to 3.93% in the studied accessions. The variability of the total acidity index in berries was low over the years. The varieties Khara Kytalyk and Erkeeni had increased level of vitamin C accumulation in their fruits, with 245.41 and 244.99 mg per 100 g, respectively. The variability of this character was low in all accessions.