Gooseberry Sirius

Mid-late maturing variety, developed at the VNIIS (Institute of Horticulture named after I.V. Michurin) by crossing the varieties 'Besshipny 3' and 'Kaptivator 0-271'. Breeders: K.D. Sergeeva and T.S. Zvyagina. Since 1994, it has been included in the State Register of Selection Achievements approved for use in the Central Chernozem region.

Plant is taller than average, upright, with medium-density crown, strong branching, and vertically oriented branches. Growing shoots are thick, straight or slightly curved at the tip, light green, and glabrous. Woody shoots are thick and light-colored. Branches are practically thornless. Rare thorns are single, short, medium thickness, with downward-curving tips, dark, pointing downward, located only in the lower part of the shoot. Prickles are absent. Buds are egg-shaped, large, blunt-tipped, dark brown, glabrous, and slightly deviated. Leaf scar is round.

Leaf is large, light green, matte, slightly hairy, wrinkled, loose, convex. Teeth are large, blunt, slightly curled. Veins are absent. Leaf is three- to five-lobed, lobes with deep or medium indentations, central lobe exceeds lateral ones, its lateral margins are cut straight to the base. Lateral lobes are medium-sized, with upward-pointing tips, acute angle between veins of lateral lobes. Basal lobes are poorly developed, veins are spreading. Leaf base is straight or with a slight notch, angle between leaf blade base and petiole is right. Petiole is long, medium thickness, with very sparse glandular hairs in lower part, positioned at 45° angle to the shoot.

Flowers are medium-sized, pale. Sepals are pale, with anthocyanin 'streak' at base, free, slightly bent upward during flowering. Inflorescence is single- or two-flowered. Ovule is slightly hairy.

Berries are medium to large (3.5-4.0 g), irregular, round, dark red, glabrous, with waxy coating. Seed content is moderate. Skin is firm, medium thickness, with weak veining, veins weakly branched, lighter than fruit's main color. Taste is sour-sweet, rated 4.0 points. Berries are versatile in use. Receptacle is medium, full, closed. Pedicel is long, green or brown-green, sometimes fleshy at base. Chemical composition: total sugars — 8.9-12.0%, titratable acidity — 2.3%, ascorbic acid — 19.3-36.0 mg/100 g.

Variety is winter-hardy, drought-tolerant, average yield 8.5-12.3 t/ha (2.5-3.6 kg/plant), moderately resistant to American powdery mildew.

Advantages of the variety: low thorniness of shoots, high winter hardiness and productivity.

Disadvantages of the variety: susceptibility of shoots and berries to American powdery mildew.