Aspects of low temperature survival in cherry in the Okanagan Valley

16 Aug 2024
1107

The Okanagan, Similkameen and Creston Valleys are the main production areas in British Columbia, where 95% of Canada's sweet cherry production is concentrated. The Okanagan Valley is responsible for about 86% of the total production of cherries from British Columbia. The annual production of cherries in these regions is about 12,000-15,000 tonnes.

Currently, there are about 4800 acres (1942 hectares) of commercial sweet cherry plantations in British Columbia, but production is expected to increase. In 2018, cherries produced here were exported to 27 different markets, with an estimated revenue of $107.48 million. This makes cherries an economically important product for Canada.

In the Okanagan Valley, the main cultivars are 'Staccato', 'Lapins', 'Sweetheart' (also known as 'Sumtare'), 'Sentennial' and 'Skeena'. In terms of hectares covered, 'Sweetheart' is the third most cultivated cultivar in the Okanagan Valley, which makes this variety particularly important for local growers.

Furthermore, this variety was released by the Summerland Research and Development Centre of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, located right in the Okanagan Valley. 'Sweetheart' is a self-fertile tree that produces well and is a cross between the cultivars 'Van' and 'New Star' or 'Lapins'.

It is distinguished by its medium-large, red, elongated fruits with very firm flesh. Moreover, being a late cultivar has facilitated its expansion and diversification of market opportunities. Commercial production of sweet cherries in the Okanagan Valley is expanding northwards and to higher altitudes than in the past, partly due also to climate change.

This poses several concerns for growers, such as the availability of adequate irrigation water to maintain plant health and increased susceptibility to temperature damage in these more extreme growing locations.

According to the results of a study conducted at the University of British Columbia (Canada), the sweet cherry lethal temperature models devised for 'Sweetheart' and 'Lapins' showed potential when applied to other cultivars with comparable flowering duration, such as 'Sonata', 'Staccato' and 'Skeena'.

Model estimates were validated using data collected in the Summerland region at different altitudes. However, reliable lethal temperature data collected with greater latitudinal variability within and outside the Okanagan Valley could not be accessed. Lethal bud temperatures were higher when exposed to warmer and wetter conditions prior to differential thermal analysis.

Flower buds in ecodormancy were more susceptible to deacclimatisation when exposed to warmer conditions than those in endodormancy. Lethal temperature measurements were significantly lower when differential thermal analysis cooling rates were slower than when faster cooling rates were used.

The amount of material left at the base of the bud had no significant impact on the lethal temperature measurements when the region directly underlying the primordia was not disturbed. The results of the lethal temperature measurements obtained by differential thermal analysis and controlled freezing tests were comparable.

Source: Houghton, E. A. (2024). Aspects of low temperature survival in sweet cherry (Prunus avium) in the Okanagan Valley (T). University of British Columbia. Retrieved from https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0444117.
Image: SL Fruit Service

Melissa Venturi
University of Bologna (IT)


Cherry Times - All rights reserved

What to read next

Cherry varieties with low chilling requirements: Bloom Fresh's answer to climate change

Breeding

30 Oct 2024

"Most traditional cherries need a minimum of 800 hours of chilling, but our low-chilling varieties can produce fruit with less than half of those hours. This opens up cultivation opportunities in areas with milder winters."

Many varieties are available but none is perfect

Varieties

07 Apr 2023

According to a survey conducted by Dondini et al (2019) and recently updated (Lugli, 2023), more than 50 breeding programmes aimed at creating new cherry varieties and rootstocks are active worldwide. Creating a new variety has become an all-round entrepreneurial activity.

In evidenza

Brassinolide protects “Tieton” cherries from cold damage during storage in China

Post-harvest​

26 Jun 2025

A study from Yantai, China shows that brassinolide application improves the storage of “Tieton” cherries, significantly reducing cold damage, weight loss, and degradation of visual and nutritional quality of the fruits during prolonged cold storage conditions.

Meda cherries tested in 12 European countries, first fruits harvested in the Netherlands

Varieties

26 Jun 2025

Meda cherries gain traction across Europe: trials in 12 countries, first harvest in the Netherlands, and over 1,200 hectares assigned worldwide. The project spans USA, Chile, South Africa and China, focusing on quality, earliness, innovation and agronomic sustainability.

Tag Popolari