Currant Fidelity (Legendary)

Medium-maturing variety, developed jointly by VSTISP and Podolsk Experimental Station for Horticulture (Ukraine) through pollination of form 28-21-61 using pollen mixture of varieties Bredtorp and Khlyudovskaya. Authors: V.M. Litvinova, A.I. Chmuh. Included in the State Register of Varieties Approved for Use in the West Siberian Region in 2002.

Medium-height, slightly spreading, moderately dense bush. Growing shoots of medium thickness, gray-green with brownish tinge, hairless, lignified — medium thickness, slightly glossy, grayish-brown. Buds large, egg-shaped, pointed, reddish-purple, deviated from shoots, solitary, apical free, leaf scar shape rounded-triangular.

Leaf five-lobed, medium, green, hairless, slightly wrinkled, leathery, matte, slightly concave along main veins. Central lobe long and narrow, slightly folded along central vein, with indistinct lateral projections. Lateral lobes short, blunt, tips directed toward leaf apex or horizontally, angle between their veins acute or straight. Basal lobes distinct, veins directed toward leaf apex, downcurved or spread out. Base often irregularly shaped, with fine notch. Teeth large, without distinct tip. Petiole medium length and thickness, brownish.

Flowers medium, cup-shaped, sepals yellowish, broad, slightly recurved, free. Inflorescence medium (6-8 cm), with short peduncle, medium density, axis medium thickness, curved. Pedicel medium length, thin, green with brownish "tanning", hairless.

Berries very large (average weight 1.6 g, maximum — 3.0 g), round, black, dry detachable, with high seed content. Receptacle medium, falling off, closed. Taste sweet-sour (4.0 points). Berries versatile use. Chemical composition: total sugars — 9.4%, titratable acidity — 1.9%, ascorbic acid — 328.0 mg/100 g.

Cold-resistant, self-fertile, relatively resistant to bud mite, average yield 8.5 t/ha (2.6 kg/plant).

Advantages of the variety: large berry size, dessert flavor of berries, high ascorbic acid content.

Disadvantages of the variety: low yield, susceptible to anthracnose and powdery mildew.