Over the past two decades, there has been a significant increase in labour costs, with a rise of 244%. As a result, labour expenses currently constitute approximately 67% of the whole expenditure associated with cherry production. The preponderance of labour expenses is mostly allocated to the harvest phase, constituting over 50% of the overall expenditure.
The process of orchard intensification has been found to result in the early onset of fruit bearing, while also ensuring the production of fruit of good quality. In addition to the utilisation of dwarfing rootstocks, the selection of appropriate training systems holds considerable importance as it exerts a notable impact on the harvest efficiency.
Indeed, there is a growing interest in planar systems and Y-systems due to their ability to enhance canopy light interception and speed-up harvest practices. Currently, it appears that plants trained using the UFO (upright fruiting offshoots) method have the highest harvest rate (0.81 kg/min), followed by those trained using the KGB (Kym green bush) method (0.72 kg/min), while the classic open center method has the lowest rates (0.47 kg/min).
In addition, the crop load management is of utmost importance, commencing with the practise of bud thinning. To further optimize the efficiency of sweet cherry orchards, it is imperative to develop compact fruit walls that possess canopies capable of effectively capturing sunlight while also being suitable to mechanization. This will also make it possible to reduce the high production costs, which today are mainly related to the need for manual labour.
Source: I. Iglesias, Development of innovative high-density orchards aiming for an efficient and sustainable sweet cherry production, IX International Cherry Symposium http://2021.cherries.org.cn/replayEn.html
Melissa Venturi
University of Bologna (IT)
30 Jun 2025
In Lebanon, cherry farmers and agri-SMEs from the Bekaa Valley and Mount Lebanon are receiving ILO-supported training to meet EU compliance standards. The initiative aims to boost certification, strengthen value chains, and improve access to international export markets.
12 Nov 2024
In the 2024/25 season, we are observing much higher fertility than seen from 2018 to 2023, which may lead to an abundant bloom. This is compounded by the fact that the potential size or caliber of the fruit is limited from the outset due to the increased number of flowers on the
29 Jan 2026
In Oregon’s Columbia Gorge, growers are reviving Royal Ann cherry orchards for processing. With lower risks and stable returns, this approach brings back a historic fruit industry focused on maraschino, glacé, and ingredient-grade cherries in the U.S. market.
29 Jan 2026
A genomic study identifies 38 AKR genes in sweet cherry, key to drought, salinity, and hormonal stress responses. The findings offer new opportunities for breeding resilient cultivars, vital for climate adaptation and increased crop stability and yield.
