North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Richard Moyer <ramoyer@gmail.com>]

Kim Hummer at the Corvallis National Clonal Germplasm Repository is a
Ribes researcher.  She convened a conference on this rust, and has had
grad students working to identify the Ribes that are most susceptible
and most resistant, including Black Currants.  Note this is a range,
not a yes or no trait.  Some red currants and some gooseberries are
susceptible to rust, though as Lee noted most are not.

A search on Google Scholar will identify some of these Hummer
publications.  This info is also available at the Ribes section of the
NCGR website.

Whitman Farms in Oregon offers a number of rust resistant Ribes,
including some R. nigrum (black currants).
Rust resistance in only one factor in choosing a black currant.  At
the New Hampshire NAFEX meeting we visited a small fruit grower who
had several long rows of 'Consort'.  Turns out it was wasted space as
he could not sell the fruit, even to those who had tasted other
cultivars of black currants.

Note also that 'Crandall' clove currant is highly resistant to rust,
and makes a great ornamental plant during spring bloom, whose scent
attracts both butterflies and humans.

Richard Moyer
SW VA