Sweet cherries are self-incompatible and cannot be fertilized by their own pollen. A gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI) system determines fertility in sweet cherries and prevents pollination with own and genetically related pollen.
This mechanism is controlled by a multi-allelic S-locus coding for two genes involved in fertilization: the S-allele-specific ribonuclease (S-RNase) expressed in the female style and the S-specific F-box protein (SFB) in the male pollen. Since the beginning of the 20th century, systematic studies have been carried out to describe the fertilization relationships between sweet cherry cultivars.
Since then, information on the S-genotypes of sweet cherry cultivars has been constantly increasing. This information is very important for cherry growing, breeding, and breeding research. The S-genotypes of sweet cherry cultivars were collected by evaluating S-allele studies described in the literature. The S-genotypes of 1,700 sweet cherry accessions were recorded.
A summary of all the results of S-genotyping in sweet cherries can be found in "Self-incompatibility (S) genotypes of cultivated sweet cherries – An overview 2023-Update" published in the OpenAgrar repository, https://doi.org/10.5073/20230302-143854-0
Mirko Schuster, Susan Schröpfer, Henryk Flachowsky
Institute for Breeding Research on Fruit Crops, Julius Kühn-Institut (DE)
15 Jul 2025
The 2025 cherry season in the US Northwest brings excellent quality and large fruit sizes. Superfresh Growers leads exports to Asia and Oceania, India shows growing demand, while shipments to China decline due to trade tariffs and restrictions.
24 Mar 2025
The greenhouses in Qicun, China, are becoming a model for cherry cultivation thanks to advanced techniques, valuable varieties and cooperative management that improves productivity and guarantees high quality fruit, ready for the market as early as mid-April.
07 Aug 2026
A study evaluates 92 entomopathogenic nematode strains against Drosophila suzukii. Steinernema carpocapsae NC116 shows high efficacy against larvae, while sublethal effects on adults open new opportunities for integrated pest management in cherry production.
07 Aug 2026
The 2026 Northwest U.S. cherry season enters its final phase with over 16 million boxes shipped. Volumes remain below the May forecast and Rainier cherries are sharply down, while flavor, size and quality stay high as dark sweet cherries support the final push in August.
