Blackcurrants bred to survive mild winters

‘The weather this year has shown why we have to be on the front foot in adapting to a changing climate’

BLACKCURRANTS that are resilient to climate change have been harvested in the UK for the first time, after they were bred to adapt to warmer temperatures.

Following 20 years of research, 75,000 bushes of the Ben Lawers blackcurrant will fruit this year. They are the result of a collaboration between the James Hutton Institute, a leading agricultural and land research centre in Scotland, and Ribena, the soft drinks maker which uses 90 per cent of blackcurrants grown in the UK.

Blackcurrants require a ‘‘winter chill’’ to bear fruit in the summertime, in a process known as vernalisation, and are therefore susceptible to the UK’S warming winters.

“Harvest is always the most exciting time of the year but this time around it promises to be doubly rewarding,” said Harriet Prosser, agronomist at Lucozade Ribena Suntory.

“This year’s weather has demonstrated why we need to be on the front foot in adapting to a changing climate.”

Blackcurrants bred at the James

Hutton Institute since 1956 account for half of all the fruit worldwide, and are all named after Scottish mountains.

Other areas of British agriculture have benefited from warming temperatures, including the country’s flourishing wine industry.

The James Hutton Institute is also developing potatoes that are resilient to heat stress. Warm temperatures in 2018 left potato yields 20 per cent down compared to the previous season and the lowest since 1960. In the same year, carrot yields were down 25-30 per cent, and onion yields 40 per cent.

The institute is a leader in developing indoor farming using hydroponic technology, which allows for climatic control and minimises land use.