Black currant Zusha

A subspecies of such a fruit and berry crop as currants, with a dark color of berries, which will be discussed in more detail in this article, is a representative of varieties with an average period of fruit ripening. The black currant Zusha appeared at the All-Russian Research Institute of Breeding of Fruit Crops, thanks to the works of such breeders as T.P. Ogoltsova, S.D. Knyazev, L.V. Bayanov, by selection of subspecies Minai Shmyrev and Ruffled. In 2001, the Zusha currant variety was entered in the State Register and zoned for the Central Black Earth Region.

Zusha currant: variety description and characteristics

Currant Zusha: photo of the variety

The Zusha black currant shrub is considered a vigorous plant, has medium thickening and a little spreading. Growing shoots do not have pubescence, they are quite strong and strong, straight, endowed with a green tint and colored apical part, and also shiny. The shoots of the Zusha currant are lignified, thick and shiny, have a brownish-gray color with a pale yellow shade of the apical part. The buds are medium to large in size, with a reddish-purple hue. They are endowed with a rounded elongated shape and a pointed apical part, have a deviation and slight asymmetry. The kidney of the upper part is in a free or not free position, it is large. The leaf scar is round and wedge-shaped.

The leaf of the black currant Zusha is five-lobed, has an average size, a shiny surface and a slightly corrugated, wrinkled structure. It has a rich green color. There are very small openings between the blades, which are blunt and wide. The middle lobe is rather long than the lateral lobes. It is wide, triangular, with a slight sharpness in the upper part, slightly folded along the midvein, with additional projections. The lateral lobes are rather short in length, obtuse, with a straight or acute angle between their veins. In the lateral blades, the upper sides are in a straight line, and the lower sides are rather strongly chamfered. The basal lobes are not clearly defined, and their veins are spread. The base of this leaf has an open and wide notch. The teeth are very small, serrate, pointed, slightly bent at the edges. The petiole has pubescence, anthocyanin color.

Zusha currant flowers, when opened, are of medium size and cup-shaped. Sepals are painted in a whitish-pink shade, have a free arrangement, bent upward. The brushes are endowed with an average size, on average 6-6.5 centimeters, the fruits are quite densely located to each other, the axis is sinuous, medium, has no pubescence.

Description of the fruits of the Zusha variety

The fruits of the Zusha currant variety are large enough to grow, each can reach 1.2 grams in weight. They are endowed with a round shape and a black tint. The surface of the fruit is covered with a thin skin. In the inner part of the Zusha currant berry there are seeds in an average amount. The cup has a round shape, medium size and closed type. The peduncle is short, thin and green in color. The pulp of black currant Zusha has a sweet taste with a slight sourness, quite aromatic. When tasting the fruits of this subspecies, they received an assessment of 4.4 points out of five possible. Zusha currants have a universal purpose. According to their chemical composition, they contain: dry soluble substances 12.8 percent, total sugars 8.7 percent, titratable acidity 3 percent, ascorbic acid 171 milligrams per 100 grams of product, anthocyanins 205 milligrams per 100 grams of product, leucoanthocyanins 215 milligrams per 100 gram of product, catechins 309 milligrams per 100 grams of product, the amount of P-active substances is 729 milligrams per 100 grams of product.

Frost resistance and other features of Zusha currants

Blackcurrant variety Zusha has a good level of frost tolerance, as well as distinctive features such as early maturity and self-fertility (57 percent).The variety has good immunity to such dangerous and common diseases as powdery mildew, anthracnose, septoria, and is also endowed with an average level of protection against kidney mites, a fairly common enemy of currants. It is also worth noting that the Zusha currant variety is quite suitable for mechanized harvesting of fruits. The yield level for Zusha currants averages 1.3 kilograms per bush, or 9.7 tons per hectare.

Currant Zusha: reviews of gardeners about the variety

• Maria Viktorovna, Moscow region: “The black currant variety Zusha not so long ago appeared on my garden plot, but has already managed to become a leader in comparison with the rest of the currant varieties growing in my place. Zusha currant every time shows a stable and high level of productivity; the variety is upright, which makes it easier to care for. I also like the fact that black currant Zusha has a good level of immunity to many common diseases and pests. "
• Anastasia Grigorievna, Chelyabinsk region: “The black currant variety Zusha likes a very convenient arrangement of berries on the branches, which greatly simplifies such a laborious process as harvesting. The taste of Zusha black currant is also very good. The only thing that upsets me is the susceptibility of Zusha currants to kidney mites and terry, but I think these sores can be avoided with careful care. "