Gooseberry Senator (Consul)

Medium-ripening variety, developed at the Southern Ural Research Institute of Fruit and Vegetable Growing and Potato Growing from crossing the varieties Chelyabinsk Green and African. Author V.S. Ilyin. Since 1995, it has been included in the State Register of Approved Selection Achievements for use in the Volga-Vyatka, Ural, West Siberian, and Far Eastern regions.

Bush is strong-growing, moderately spreading, dense. Growing shoots are of medium thickness, green, straight or slightly curved, hairless, sometimes with a brownish-pink tint at the lower part of the shoot. Thorns are single, weak, arranged perpendicular to the shoot or slightly downward. Base, upper part of the shoot, and replacement shoots are thornless.

Leaf is five-lobed, with deep notches, medium-sized, green, weakly glossy, wrinkled, medium density, blade is straight, concave or convex. Central lobe is larger than lateral ones, with additional protrusions, edges are curled inward, directed at a slight angle to the central vein. Angle between central veins of lateral lobes is acute, lateral lobes are widely spaced. Basal lobes are poorly developed. Leaf base is straight or with a small, wide, rounded notch. Teeth are irregular, blunt. Petiole is long, thin, slightly hairy, light green, positioned at an angle of 30° to the shoot. Buds are small, oval-shaped, single, deviated from the shoot. Petiole trace is wedge-shaped.

Flowers are small, brightly colored, arranged in single or two-flowered inflorescences. Sepals are narrow, medium length, pink, not fused, reflexed. Flower stalks are long, thin, green, hairless.

Berries are medium to large (2.6–6.3 g), round, dark red, with thin skin, average number of seeds. Taste is tart-sweet, rated 4.7 points. Receptacle is medium-sized, closed, pedicel is long, thin, green. Chemical composition: total sugars — 6.7%, titratable acidity — 3.0%, ascorbic acid — 25.7 mg/100 g. Berries are of universal use.

Variety is winter-hardy, high-yielding, average yield 10.0 t/ha, maximum — 20.0 t/ha (3.0–6.0 kg/plant), self-fertile (44.7%), resistant to powdery mildew.

Advantages of the variety: resistance to powdery mildew, high yield, flower resistance to spring frosts, berry taste qualities, weak thorniness of shoots.

Disadvantages of the variety: insufficient berry size.