Statistical Assessment of the Components of Fruit Yield in Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.)

Relations between yield per plant in blackcurrant and five yield components are presented. Studies were conducted in 1998-2001 on 14 genotypes grown at the Experimental Orchard at Dabrowice near Skierniewice (Central Poland). A new statistical procedure, called sequential yield component analysis (SYCA), was used for analyzing fruit yield (Y) by its components (in order of their development in ontogenesis), including the number of one-year-old shoots (X-1), the number of inflorescences per one-year-old shoot (X-2), the number of flowers per inflorescence (X-3), the number of fruits per one-year-old shoot (X-4), and the weight of 100 fruits [g] (X-5). The SYCA procedure showed that two of the yield components, i.e. the number of fruits per one-year-old shoot (X-4) and the weight of 100 fruits (X-5), were the most important determinants of the variability in fruit yield per plant. The coefficient of multiple determination (R-2) of fruit yield by five yield components ranged from 33 to 35,5% in the first two study years. In the third study year, R-2 increased to 50%, and in the last study year it reached the highest level of almost 80%.