Stefano Lugli - SL Fruit Service
Cherry Times technical-scientific committee
The areas invested in cherry orchards in Italy continue to decrease and the national production of Italy's most beloved fruit fell dramatically in 2013. Will Romagna cherries save us or will we have to get used to eating Turkish and Uzbek cherries? Probably yes.
Thanks to the investments made by Apofruit in the Cesena and Forlì area and those of Agrintesa in the Faenza area, according to the latest CIA report, Romagna has almost doubled its cherry tree surfaces in just 10 years, in contrast to national trends and those of its rich and noble cousins from Vignola.
Unfortunately, cherry growing in Romagna, like so many others, has had to suffer the devastating effects of climate change this year: frost, rain and floods that have effectively wiped out local cherry production. Read the CIA report here.
And if the people of Romagna are crying today, while looking with some optimism at their future, the people of Emilia are certainly not laughing and see any prospect of growth in the cherry sector as smoke in their eyes.
There are few rays of sunshine and many clouds on the horizon: suffice it to say that Vignola's famous cherries hit an all-time low in 2023 after 150 years, with just 3,000 tonnes of cherries harvested. And instead of investing in new plantings, cherry trees continue to be cut down in Vignola. Just as in Apulia, Italy's leading region in cherry production.
We are drifting. And it is not just the fault of climate change.
30 Aug 2024
In a Chinese research three genes that regulate cold shock protein synthesis and named PavCSP were identified and analysed. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed a variety of expression patterns, with PavCSP1-3 showing specific activity in the upper part of the stem.
11 Feb 2026
Post-harvest sweet cherry management is a key phase for reserve accumulation, flower bud differentiation and future yield. In Chile, summer pruning, irrigation, nutrition and stress control influence vegetative balance, fruit quality and long-term orchard performance.
16 Apr 2026
Genomics is accelerating cherry breeding in Spain’s Jerte Valley: Cicytex and local cooperatives launch a 2026-2030 project to identify new varieties faster, analysing 1,000 trees and 110 cultivars in one of Europe’s leading modern cherry-growing regions.
16 Apr 2026
Cherry pruning in Moldova directly affects yield and fruit quality: summer pruning and renewal cuts improve size, productivity, and uniformity. Trials on varieties and rootstocks highlight effective strategies for managing modern intensive cherry orchards.
