Blackcurrant Blackadder Early Flowering Gall Mite Trade-off

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing blackcurrant varieties face challenges in early flowering, fruit yield, and resistance to gall mite, with limited characteristics distinguishing them from other cultivars like Magnus and Bed Ard/Ben Rua.

Innovation Solution

A new blackcurrant variety, Ribes nigrum 'Blackadder', exhibiting early bud burst, flowering, and maturity, high titratable acidity, and susceptibility to gall mite, with distinct growth habits and fruit quality suitable for juice production.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If early flowering is achieved through breeding, then productivity is improved, but resistance to gall mite deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflowering timeVSAvoidgall mite resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The breeding program modified genetic parameters to achieve early flowering while accepting the trade-off of gall mite susceptibility. The new variety 'Blackadder' was selected for its early flowering characteristic (flowering before Magnus and Bed Ard/Ben Rua) despite inheriting susceptibility from parent L20, representing a parameter change in flowering time at the cost of pest resistance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of selecting for gall mite resistance as traditionally done, the breeding program inverted the selection criterion by deliberately choosing an early-flowering parent (L20) that was susceptible to gall mite, prioritizing flowering time over pest resistance in the selection process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Productivity

If titratable acidity levels are increased, then fruit quality for juice production is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefruit qualityVSAvoidharvest difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The breeding program changed the chemical composition parameters of the fruit by selecting for higher titratable acidity levels. The new variety exhibits higher acidity compared to parents L20 and L31, which improves juice quality characteristics while the early maturity allows machine harvest operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If growth habit is made more upright and vigorous, then productivity is improved, but adaptability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegrowth habitVSAvoidgrowth adaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The breeding program applied local quality by developing an upright growth habit specifically in the new variety while maintaining adaptability to different growing conditions. The variety exhibits a distinct upright form compared to the less upright Magnus, creating a localized structural characteristic that improves productivity without sacrificing overall adaptability to New Zealand growing environments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUSPP18790P3Blackcurrant plant named `Blackadder`

Publication Date: 2008.05.06 NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE FOR BIOECONOMY SCIENCE LTD

AI summary

A new and distinct variety of blackcurrant named ‘Blackadder’, botanically identified as Ribes nigrum is described. The new variety is distinguished from others by its early season bud burst, flowering and harvest. Its bush has an upright habit suitable for machine harvesting. Yields are high and the fruit has high anthocyanin levels and moderate ascorbic acid levels.