Black Currant (Ribes nigrum) PILOT ALEXANDER MAMKIN

Blackcurrant 'Pilot Alexander Mamkin'

An extremely rare Belarusian variety carrying the blood of the wild currant (Ribes dikuscha), featuring a premium dessert flavor and exceptional frost resistance.

Currant 'Pilot Alexander Mamkin' (Mid-early variety)

'Pilot Alexander Mamkin' (Пилот Александр Мамкин) is a proven Belarusian variety, officially registered in 1985. It was created by crossing a hybrid form with the Asian species Ribes dikuscha. Although its specific brownish-black color might be a slight disadvantage commercially, it is an absolute gem for home growers and collectors due to its fantastic taste and resilience.

Key advantages of the variety:

• Premium dessert flavor: Highly rated sweet taste (4.8 out of 5 points), perfect for fresh consumption.
• Dry tear (clean picking): The skin does not tear and juice does not leak when picked, ensuring a clean harvest.
• High frost resistance: Thanks to its wild currant genetics, it easily withstands severe frosts.
• Self-fertility and yield: It is highly self-fertile, begins bearing fruit very early, and yields 2.5 to 3.5 kg per bush.

Fruit and Harvest

• Appearance: Medium-sized berries (0.8 – 1.2 g) with a specific brown to brownish-black glossy skin (not a typical deep black).
• Flavor and flesh: The flesh is juicy and tender. The taste is sweet, pleasant, with an unobtrusive aroma (sugar content 8.5 – 12.7%, high vitamin C content).
• Harvest period: Mid-early variety. Note: Berries in the cluster ripen unevenly and have a tendency to drop if overripe.

Growth and Resistance

• Growth habit: Vigorous, compact bush with thick, sturdy shoots and characteristically wrinkled leaves.
• Disease resistance: Resistant to anthracnose and only slightly susceptible to the blackcurrant gall mite. However, it has moderate susceptibility to American powdery mildew and fungal leaf spots (an airy planting location is recommended).

Collector's Rarity

• For ultimate enthusiasts: This is an extreme rarity and one of the very few available varieties that is a true first filial generation (F1) cross with Ribes dikuscha. It serves as the foundation for many modern varieties.