Hedi Kaldmäe - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Hedi Kaldmäe

Research paper thumbnail of Comparative Analyses of Bioactive Compounds in Inonotus obliquus Conks Growing on Alnus and Betula

Biomolecules

Inonotus obliquus grows in the Northern Hemisphere on some living broadleaved tree species as a p... more Inonotus obliquus grows in the Northern Hemisphere on some living broadleaved tree species as a pathogen, causing stem rot. In Estonia, the fungus is well known in the Betula species but can also be found on Alnus. Sterile conks of I. obliquus contain different bioactive compounds, but the quantitative and comparative research of these compounds in conks on different host species is limited. In the current work, I. obliquus was isolated and, evidently, determined from Alnus incana (L.) Moench., Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn., and Betula pendula Roth, and the content of bioactive compounds in conks on these hosts were analysed. All the analysed conks sampled from A. incana and B. pendula contained betulin that varied from 111 to 159 µg/g. A significantly (p < 0.05) higher betulinic acid content was found in conks sampled from A. incana when compared with B. pendula: 474–635 and 20–132 µg/g, respectively. However, the conks from Betula were richer in total polyphenols, flavonols, and...

Research paper thumbnail of A multinational approach to conserve the european genetic resources of currants and gooseberry

Research paper thumbnail of Enzyme-assisted extraction of anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds from blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) press cake: From processing to bioactivities

Research paper thumbnail of International Scientific Conference "Sustainable fruit and berry cultivation" : the book of abstracts

Dear conference participants and guests, As director of the Institute of Agricultural and Environ... more Dear conference participants and guests, As director of the Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of Estonian University of Life Sciences, I have a great honour to greet you at the scientific conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Polli Horticultural Research Centre. Research on fruits and berries in Estonia and at our University is carried out in two locations – at horticultural research centre at Polli village in Southern Estonia and on our university campus in Tartu where the Chair of Horticulture mainly operates. Through the history, Polli village has always been related to horticulture. In 1920, an agricultural school was founded at Polli. 25 years later, a horticultural research centre was established, focusing on breeding fruit varieties. During the last two decades, the focus of the horticultural research centre has shifted from breeding and cultivation technologies towards processing and product development. The topic of the conference is sustainabl...

Research paper thumbnail of Recovery of Polyphenols from Vineyard Pruning Wastes—Shoots and Cane of Hybrid Grapevine (Vitis sp.) Cultivars

Antioxidants, 2021

Grapevine shoots and canes represent a significant amount of biomass, considered as a waste in vi... more Grapevine shoots and canes represent a significant amount of biomass, considered as a waste in viticulture. In cooler climates, grapevines are pruned in the autumn (October) and spring (March) due to harsh winter conditions (e.g., snow, low temperatures), and large amounts of biomass are produced at these different pruning times. This work was undertaken in order to investigate the potential of vineyard pruning waste for recovery of polyphenolic compounds for biomass valorization. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of grapevine shoot and cane polyphenols, including flavonoids and stilbenoids were performed using UHPLC MS/MS method. The results revealed the flavonols (quercetin) to be the most abundant compounds in shoots among all the three cultivars screened (Zilga, Hasansky Sladky, Rondo). Stilbenoids (ε-viniferin) dominated in the canes, while increased level of flavonols with lower contents of stilbenoids was detected in the endo-dormant canes, and higher amounts of flavanols...

Research paper thumbnail of Extraction of polyphenols from dried black currant (Ribes nigrum L.) leaves

Research paper thumbnail of Supercritical CO2 extraction of raspberry seed oil

Research paper thumbnail of Stability of anthocyanins and the variability of their content in some fruits and vegetables cultivated in Estonia

Research paper thumbnail of Antioxidant activity and the content of total polyphenols in Rubus idaeus L. water extracts

Research paper thumbnail of The core collection of the Northern European gene pool of Ribes created by RIBESCO project

Scientific works of the Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture and Lithuanian University of Agricul... more Scientific works of the Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture and Lithuanian University of Agriculture: Sodininkyste ir darzininkyste

Research paper thumbnail of Comparison of fruit quality parameters of different raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) genotypes cultivated in Estonia

Research paper thumbnail of Comparison of polyphenols and anthocyanin content of different blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) cultivars at the Polli Horticultural Research Centre in Estonia

The evaluation of blackcurrant cultivars and their fruit properties at the Polli Horticultural Re... more The evaluation of blackcurrant cultivars and their fruit properties at the Polli Horticultural Research Centre has been active since 1945. In addition to the assessment of biological and economic properties of cultivars, it is essential to pay attention to fruit quality. In 2014, the laboratory building of Polli Horticultural Research Centre was reconstructed within the PlantValor competence centre project, enabling to introduce HPLC methods for the determination of polyphenolic compounds in fruit quality analysis. In 2017 and 2018, the fruit quality of 37 blackcurrant cultivars of different geographical origin (Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Scotland, Sweden and Ukraine) was analysed. All cultivars were grown in the genetic resources collection (2008–2019) located at the Polli Horticultural Research Centre. The main aim of the study was to analyse the content of polyphenols and anthocyanins for selecting suitable blackcurrant genotypes for bre...

Research paper thumbnail of A Multinational Approach for Conserving the European Genetic Resources of Currants and Gooseberry

Acta Horticulturae, 2012

v2012o

Research paper thumbnail of European Network for Blackcurrant (Ribes Nigrum L.) Cultivar Evaluation

Acta Horticulturae, 2012

According the COST 863 Action-"Euroberry research: from genomic to sustainable production, qualit... more According the COST 863 Action-"Euroberry research: from genomic to sustainable production, quality and health" a European network for blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) cultivar evaluation was organized. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Norway, Denmark and Romania have participated in this Network. The objective of studies was to investigate the influence of geographic and climatic conditions on plant performance, berry quality and resistance to pest and diseases. A common protocol for evaluation and descriptors for blackcurrants were developed. Plant maintenance and cultivation was performed according to the local technologies and requirements of each partner (country). Phenological, morphological, productivity, berry quality and plant resistance to pest and disease characteristics were evaluated in the period 2005-2009.

Research paper thumbnail of Influence of Spring Frost and Blossom Weevil Damage on Strawberry Yield Formation

Acta Horticulturae, 2009

Depending on the year, strawberry blossoms are damaged by blossom weevil and spring frost. Both d... more Depending on the year, strawberry blossoms are damaged by blossom weevil and spring frost. Both damages depend largely on the cultivars, its time of flowering and frost tolerance of blossoms, or blossom weevil preference of cultivar and temperatures before and during flowering. Cv. 'Senga Sengana' was chosen for the study because it has been extensively grown in northern European countries for a long time and in all cultivar evaluation trials in Estonia it has been used as a control. Data were gathered over the eight years period (1999-2007). The data from 'Senga Sengana' were compared to the data obtained from 14 strawberry cultivars on blossom weevil damage in 2005 and 2006 and on spring frost damage in 2006. The results reveal the blossom weevil preference of cultivars. Blossom weevil prefers cv. 'Venta' most of all, cv. 'Sega Sengana' gets less damage. The damage of blossom weevil is most severe in years when average temperatures in May are over 10°C and there are no severe spring frosts. The damage of blossom weevil is extensive in years when the number of blossoms is low (with 'Senga Sengana' in 2003) 'Senga Sengana', being a late cultivar, does not suffer much from spring frosts. Over the nine-year test period only in two years (2002 and 2004) its blossoms had remarkable damage from spring frosts. In 2006 cultivars 'Gerida' and 'Wega' suffered most from spring frosts. With cv. 'Gerida' the damage rate was high partly due to low number of blossoms.

Research paper thumbnail of Testing Five Raspberry Cultivars of Estonian Origin

IX International Rubus and Ribes Symposium, 2008

ABSTRACT Insufficient winter hardiness is the most essential factor reducing the raspberry yield ... more ABSTRACT Insufficient winter hardiness is the most essential factor reducing the raspberry yield in Estonia. The introduced cultivars from other regions often are not sufficiently winter hardy. The main task of our raspberry breeding programme in Estonia is to breed cultivars which are winter hardy enough. The breeding programme of raspberry cultivars at Polli is based on traditional breeding methods and has resulted in six cultivars (&#39;Aita&#39;, &#39;Alvi&#39;, &#39;Helkal&#39;, &#39;Tomo&#39;, &#39;Espe&#39; and &#39;Siveli&#39;), from which the newest two, &#39;Aita&#39; and &#39;Alvi&#39;, were released and registered in 2003. &#39;Aita&#39; pedigree contains the cultivars Superlative, Novost Kuzmina and Glen Clova. &#39;Alvi&#39; pedigree contains &#39;Golden Queen&#39;, &#39;Spirina Belaya&#39; and also &#39;Novost Kuzmina&#39;. The purpose of this investigation was to compare &#39;Aita&#39; and &#39;Alvi&#39; with the other three Estonian cultivars (&#39;Helkal&#39;, &#39;Tomo&#39; and &#39;Espe&#39;) and with &#39;Novokitaivska&#39; (originated in the Ukraine), which is the most widely cultivated red raspberry cultivar in Estonia during the last two decades. In this study we observed phenology, winter hardiness, resistance to anthracnose (Elsinoe veneta) and spur blight (Didymella applanata), and fruit quality characteristics. The cultivar evaluation experiments with six cultivars revealed that &#39;Alvi&#39;, &#39;Helkal&#39;, and &#39;Novokitaivska&#39; had good winter hardiness in the years 2003–2005. &#39;Novokitaivska&#39; and &#39;Tomo&#39; had the best yield. Aita&#39; (3.1 g), &#39;Helkal&#39; (2.9 g), and &#39;Alvi&#39; (2.8 g) had the biggest fruit. &#39;Helkal&#39; and &#39;Tomo&#39; had the highest total sugar content and &#39;Tomo&#39; also had the highest acidity. Ascorbic acid content was highest in &#39;Alvi&#39; (34 mg/100g fresh fruit). The newest cultivars Aita and Alvi are promising due to big fruits, reliable yield, and resistance to anthracnose. However, susceptibility to spur blight is a shortcoming of the cultivars.

Research paper thumbnail of Blackcurrant Breeding in Estonia

IX International Rubus and Ribes Symposium, 2008

Research paper thumbnail of Fruit crop genetic resources in the Estonian University of Life Sciences

… : FROM PLANT TO …, 2008

... OF LIFE SCIENCES Ave KIKAS, Kalju KASK, Heljo JÄNES, Toivo UNIVER, Asta LIBEK, Liina ARUS, Kr... more ... OF LIFE SCIENCES Ave KIKAS, Kalju KASK, Heljo JÄNES, Toivo UNIVER, Asta LIBEK, Liina ARUS, Krista TIIRMAA, Hedi KALDMÄE Polli ... For example, the “List of recommended for growing in Estonia fruit cultivars” has been supplemented with new cultivars during the years ...

Research paper thumbnail of Genotype and microclimate conditions influence ripening pattern and quality of blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) fruit

Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, 2013

Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) fruit is valued for its content of nutritional compounds essential... more Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) fruit is valued for its content of nutritional compounds essential for human health. Traditionally, major part of the production has been used for processing but in recent years, the use of these valuable berries for fresh consumption has increased. The quality of fruit in terms of fruit size and nutritional content is especially important for dessert type cultivars and therefore more attention is paid to these in the present blackcurrant breeding programs. At Polli Horticultural Research Centre of the Estonian University of Life Sciences, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, fruit quality aspects of 3 genotypes ('Almo', 'Karri', 'Asker') from our own breeding program and 6 introduced cultivars 'Ben Alder' (Scotland), 'Intercontinental', 'Titania', 'Öjebyn' (Sweden), 'Pamjati Vavilova' (Belarus) and 'Zagadka' (Russia), were investigated. Fruit ripening dynamics and fruit size, soluble solids content (°Brix), sugar, acid and ascorbic acid content were evaluated in 2006-2010. The largest fruit was produced by the cultivars 'Intercontinental' and 'Karri'. Fruit of the cultivar 'Titania' have high content of sugar and acids, while 'Karri' has high sugar and low acid content. The most stable genotypes in respect of the majority of investigated parameters were 'Karri' and 'Zagadka'. 'Asker' distinguished from others by high and relatively stable vitamin C content.

Research paper thumbnail of Development of the Northern European Ribes core collection based on a microsatellite (SSR) marker diversity analysis

Plant Genetic Resources, 2012

The purpose of the study was to support the selection process of the most valuable currant and go... more The purpose of the study was to support the selection process of the most valuable currant and gooseberry accessions cultivated in Northern Europe, in order to establish a decentralized core collection and, following the selection, to ensure sufficient genetic diversity in the selected collection. Molecular analyses of the material from nine project partners were run at seven different laboratories. The results were first analysed for each partner separately, and then combined to ensure sufficient genetic diversity in the core collection.

Research paper thumbnail of Comparative Analyses of Bioactive Compounds in Inonotus obliquus Conks Growing on Alnus and Betula

Biomolecules

Inonotus obliquus grows in the Northern Hemisphere on some living broadleaved tree species as a p... more Inonotus obliquus grows in the Northern Hemisphere on some living broadleaved tree species as a pathogen, causing stem rot. In Estonia, the fungus is well known in the Betula species but can also be found on Alnus. Sterile conks of I. obliquus contain different bioactive compounds, but the quantitative and comparative research of these compounds in conks on different host species is limited. In the current work, I. obliquus was isolated and, evidently, determined from Alnus incana (L.) Moench., Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn., and Betula pendula Roth, and the content of bioactive compounds in conks on these hosts were analysed. All the analysed conks sampled from A. incana and B. pendula contained betulin that varied from 111 to 159 µg/g. A significantly (p < 0.05) higher betulinic acid content was found in conks sampled from A. incana when compared with B. pendula: 474–635 and 20–132 µg/g, respectively. However, the conks from Betula were richer in total polyphenols, flavonols, and...

Research paper thumbnail of A multinational approach to conserve the european genetic resources of currants and gooseberry

Research paper thumbnail of Enzyme-assisted extraction of anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds from blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) press cake: From processing to bioactivities

Research paper thumbnail of International Scientific Conference "Sustainable fruit and berry cultivation" : the book of abstracts

Dear conference participants and guests, As director of the Institute of Agricultural and Environ... more Dear conference participants and guests, As director of the Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of Estonian University of Life Sciences, I have a great honour to greet you at the scientific conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Polli Horticultural Research Centre. Research on fruits and berries in Estonia and at our University is carried out in two locations – at horticultural research centre at Polli village in Southern Estonia and on our university campus in Tartu where the Chair of Horticulture mainly operates. Through the history, Polli village has always been related to horticulture. In 1920, an agricultural school was founded at Polli. 25 years later, a horticultural research centre was established, focusing on breeding fruit varieties. During the last two decades, the focus of the horticultural research centre has shifted from breeding and cultivation technologies towards processing and product development. The topic of the conference is sustainabl...

Research paper thumbnail of Recovery of Polyphenols from Vineyard Pruning Wastes—Shoots and Cane of Hybrid Grapevine (Vitis sp.) Cultivars

Antioxidants, 2021

Grapevine shoots and canes represent a significant amount of biomass, considered as a waste in vi... more Grapevine shoots and canes represent a significant amount of biomass, considered as a waste in viticulture. In cooler climates, grapevines are pruned in the autumn (October) and spring (March) due to harsh winter conditions (e.g., snow, low temperatures), and large amounts of biomass are produced at these different pruning times. This work was undertaken in order to investigate the potential of vineyard pruning waste for recovery of polyphenolic compounds for biomass valorization. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of grapevine shoot and cane polyphenols, including flavonoids and stilbenoids were performed using UHPLC MS/MS method. The results revealed the flavonols (quercetin) to be the most abundant compounds in shoots among all the three cultivars screened (Zilga, Hasansky Sladky, Rondo). Stilbenoids (ε-viniferin) dominated in the canes, while increased level of flavonols with lower contents of stilbenoids was detected in the endo-dormant canes, and higher amounts of flavanols...

Research paper thumbnail of Extraction of polyphenols from dried black currant (Ribes nigrum L.) leaves

Research paper thumbnail of Supercritical CO2 extraction of raspberry seed oil

Research paper thumbnail of Stability of anthocyanins and the variability of their content in some fruits and vegetables cultivated in Estonia

Research paper thumbnail of Antioxidant activity and the content of total polyphenols in Rubus idaeus L. water extracts

Research paper thumbnail of The core collection of the Northern European gene pool of Ribes created by RIBESCO project

Scientific works of the Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture and Lithuanian University of Agricul... more Scientific works of the Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture and Lithuanian University of Agriculture: Sodininkyste ir darzininkyste

Research paper thumbnail of Comparison of fruit quality parameters of different raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) genotypes cultivated in Estonia

Research paper thumbnail of Comparison of polyphenols and anthocyanin content of different blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) cultivars at the Polli Horticultural Research Centre in Estonia

The evaluation of blackcurrant cultivars and their fruit properties at the Polli Horticultural Re... more The evaluation of blackcurrant cultivars and their fruit properties at the Polli Horticultural Research Centre has been active since 1945. In addition to the assessment of biological and economic properties of cultivars, it is essential to pay attention to fruit quality. In 2014, the laboratory building of Polli Horticultural Research Centre was reconstructed within the PlantValor competence centre project, enabling to introduce HPLC methods for the determination of polyphenolic compounds in fruit quality analysis. In 2017 and 2018, the fruit quality of 37 blackcurrant cultivars of different geographical origin (Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Scotland, Sweden and Ukraine) was analysed. All cultivars were grown in the genetic resources collection (2008–2019) located at the Polli Horticultural Research Centre. The main aim of the study was to analyse the content of polyphenols and anthocyanins for selecting suitable blackcurrant genotypes for bre...

Research paper thumbnail of A Multinational Approach for Conserving the European Genetic Resources of Currants and Gooseberry

Acta Horticulturae, 2012

v2012o

Research paper thumbnail of European Network for Blackcurrant (Ribes Nigrum L.) Cultivar Evaluation

Acta Horticulturae, 2012

According the COST 863 Action-"Euroberry research: from genomic to sustainable production, qualit... more According the COST 863 Action-"Euroberry research: from genomic to sustainable production, quality and health" a European network for blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) cultivar evaluation was organized. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Norway, Denmark and Romania have participated in this Network. The objective of studies was to investigate the influence of geographic and climatic conditions on plant performance, berry quality and resistance to pest and diseases. A common protocol for evaluation and descriptors for blackcurrants were developed. Plant maintenance and cultivation was performed according to the local technologies and requirements of each partner (country). Phenological, morphological, productivity, berry quality and plant resistance to pest and disease characteristics were evaluated in the period 2005-2009.

Research paper thumbnail of Influence of Spring Frost and Blossom Weevil Damage on Strawberry Yield Formation

Acta Horticulturae, 2009

Depending on the year, strawberry blossoms are damaged by blossom weevil and spring frost. Both d... more Depending on the year, strawberry blossoms are damaged by blossom weevil and spring frost. Both damages depend largely on the cultivars, its time of flowering and frost tolerance of blossoms, or blossom weevil preference of cultivar and temperatures before and during flowering. Cv. 'Senga Sengana' was chosen for the study because it has been extensively grown in northern European countries for a long time and in all cultivar evaluation trials in Estonia it has been used as a control. Data were gathered over the eight years period (1999-2007). The data from 'Senga Sengana' were compared to the data obtained from 14 strawberry cultivars on blossom weevil damage in 2005 and 2006 and on spring frost damage in 2006. The results reveal the blossom weevil preference of cultivars. Blossom weevil prefers cv. 'Venta' most of all, cv. 'Sega Sengana' gets less damage. The damage of blossom weevil is most severe in years when average temperatures in May are over 10°C and there are no severe spring frosts. The damage of blossom weevil is extensive in years when the number of blossoms is low (with 'Senga Sengana' in 2003) 'Senga Sengana', being a late cultivar, does not suffer much from spring frosts. Over the nine-year test period only in two years (2002 and 2004) its blossoms had remarkable damage from spring frosts. In 2006 cultivars 'Gerida' and 'Wega' suffered most from spring frosts. With cv. 'Gerida' the damage rate was high partly due to low number of blossoms.

Research paper thumbnail of Testing Five Raspberry Cultivars of Estonian Origin

IX International Rubus and Ribes Symposium, 2008

ABSTRACT Insufficient winter hardiness is the most essential factor reducing the raspberry yield ... more ABSTRACT Insufficient winter hardiness is the most essential factor reducing the raspberry yield in Estonia. The introduced cultivars from other regions often are not sufficiently winter hardy. The main task of our raspberry breeding programme in Estonia is to breed cultivars which are winter hardy enough. The breeding programme of raspberry cultivars at Polli is based on traditional breeding methods and has resulted in six cultivars (&#39;Aita&#39;, &#39;Alvi&#39;, &#39;Helkal&#39;, &#39;Tomo&#39;, &#39;Espe&#39; and &#39;Siveli&#39;), from which the newest two, &#39;Aita&#39; and &#39;Alvi&#39;, were released and registered in 2003. &#39;Aita&#39; pedigree contains the cultivars Superlative, Novost Kuzmina and Glen Clova. &#39;Alvi&#39; pedigree contains &#39;Golden Queen&#39;, &#39;Spirina Belaya&#39; and also &#39;Novost Kuzmina&#39;. The purpose of this investigation was to compare &#39;Aita&#39; and &#39;Alvi&#39; with the other three Estonian cultivars (&#39;Helkal&#39;, &#39;Tomo&#39; and &#39;Espe&#39;) and with &#39;Novokitaivska&#39; (originated in the Ukraine), which is the most widely cultivated red raspberry cultivar in Estonia during the last two decades. In this study we observed phenology, winter hardiness, resistance to anthracnose (Elsinoe veneta) and spur blight (Didymella applanata), and fruit quality characteristics. The cultivar evaluation experiments with six cultivars revealed that &#39;Alvi&#39;, &#39;Helkal&#39;, and &#39;Novokitaivska&#39; had good winter hardiness in the years 2003–2005. &#39;Novokitaivska&#39; and &#39;Tomo&#39; had the best yield. Aita&#39; (3.1 g), &#39;Helkal&#39; (2.9 g), and &#39;Alvi&#39; (2.8 g) had the biggest fruit. &#39;Helkal&#39; and &#39;Tomo&#39; had the highest total sugar content and &#39;Tomo&#39; also had the highest acidity. Ascorbic acid content was highest in &#39;Alvi&#39; (34 mg/100g fresh fruit). The newest cultivars Aita and Alvi are promising due to big fruits, reliable yield, and resistance to anthracnose. However, susceptibility to spur blight is a shortcoming of the cultivars.

Research paper thumbnail of Blackcurrant Breeding in Estonia

IX International Rubus and Ribes Symposium, 2008

Research paper thumbnail of Fruit crop genetic resources in the Estonian University of Life Sciences

… : FROM PLANT TO …, 2008

... OF LIFE SCIENCES Ave KIKAS, Kalju KASK, Heljo JÄNES, Toivo UNIVER, Asta LIBEK, Liina ARUS, Kr... more ... OF LIFE SCIENCES Ave KIKAS, Kalju KASK, Heljo JÄNES, Toivo UNIVER, Asta LIBEK, Liina ARUS, Krista TIIRMAA, Hedi KALDMÄE Polli ... For example, the “List of recommended for growing in Estonia fruit cultivars” has been supplemented with new cultivars during the years ...

Research paper thumbnail of Genotype and microclimate conditions influence ripening pattern and quality of blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) fruit

Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, 2013

Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) fruit is valued for its content of nutritional compounds essential... more Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) fruit is valued for its content of nutritional compounds essential for human health. Traditionally, major part of the production has been used for processing but in recent years, the use of these valuable berries for fresh consumption has increased. The quality of fruit in terms of fruit size and nutritional content is especially important for dessert type cultivars and therefore more attention is paid to these in the present blackcurrant breeding programs. At Polli Horticultural Research Centre of the Estonian University of Life Sciences, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, fruit quality aspects of 3 genotypes ('Almo', 'Karri', 'Asker') from our own breeding program and 6 introduced cultivars 'Ben Alder' (Scotland), 'Intercontinental', 'Titania', 'Öjebyn' (Sweden), 'Pamjati Vavilova' (Belarus) and 'Zagadka' (Russia), were investigated. Fruit ripening dynamics and fruit size, soluble solids content (°Brix), sugar, acid and ascorbic acid content were evaluated in 2006-2010. The largest fruit was produced by the cultivars 'Intercontinental' and 'Karri'. Fruit of the cultivar 'Titania' have high content of sugar and acids, while 'Karri' has high sugar and low acid content. The most stable genotypes in respect of the majority of investigated parameters were 'Karri' and 'Zagadka'. 'Asker' distinguished from others by high and relatively stable vitamin C content.

Research paper thumbnail of Development of the Northern European Ribes core collection based on a microsatellite (SSR) marker diversity analysis

Plant Genetic Resources, 2012

The purpose of the study was to support the selection process of the most valuable currant and go... more The purpose of the study was to support the selection process of the most valuable currant and gooseberry accessions cultivated in Northern Europe, in order to establish a decentralized core collection and, following the selection, to ensure sufficient genetic diversity in the selected collection. Molecular analyses of the material from nine project partners were run at seven different laboratories. The results were first analysed for each partner separately, and then combined to ensure sufficient genetic diversity in the core collection.