Elzbieta Rozpara: Polish sour cherry production and future research trends

31 Oct 2023
2402

Poland is one of the leading fruit producers, with a per capita production of 146 kg of fruit. Among the cultivated species, the production of sour cherries stands out, reaching 183 thousand tonnes in 2022, making it one of the largest producers in the world.

In fact, the sour cherry is widely cultivated in Poland due to the plant's excellent resistance to low winter temperatures and the suitability of the soil for this crop. Another interesting feature is the fruit's phenolic component, such as phenolic acids and flavonoids, which could counteract the harmful effects of free radicals, implicated in the development of diseases such as the cardiovascular ones.

However, the combination of labour shortage and high labour costs has necessitated a change in orchard structure and management techniques.

Elzbieta Rozpara

For example, orchards with historical cultivars are characterised by a low planting density (4 m between trees in the row), which is well suited to harvesting with trunk shakers. Modern plantations (1.2 m – 1.5 m between trees in the row), on the other hand, are better suited to harvesting with cherry harvester. Of the total product, most is processed, either into concentrated juice or frozen products, while only 9% is destined for fresh consumption.

The new research directions are towards the breeding of new varieties suitable for fresh consumption such, with sweeter and large fruits but not only: there is the need to conduct research on organic sour cherry production as well as on the study and elaboration of new processed products.


Source: http://2021.cherries.org.cn/replayEn.html

Melissa Venturi
University of Bologna (IT)


Cherry Times - All rights reserved

What to read next

From the Apennines to the Andes: the worldwide success of Sweet Aryana®

Varieties

21 Jul 2023

Born and bred in Italy on the slopes of the Modenese Apennines (Vignola, Italy) Sweet Aryana has found one of her earthly paradises on the other side of the Andes. With 2000 hectares invested and 2 million plants in the nursery Sweet Aryana is generating strong interest in Chile.

Problems and effective solutions against dehydration of cherries during the cold chain

Post-harvest​

24 May 2024

One of the main challenges cherries face during the journey is dehydration, which leads to loss of firmness and browning of the pedicel. In addition, the metabolism of the fruit accelerates its senescence, deteriorating the final condition of the fruit.

In evidenza

Foliar applications of calcium and biostimulant based on Ascophyllum nodosum to improve sweet cherry quality

Production

01 Jan 2026

Ultrasound and nanobubble treatments are transforming postharvest cherry management in Chile. Physiological indicators such as pitting, electrolyte leakage and respiration help assess treatment impact and preserve cherry quality for up to 45 days in cold storage.

New physiological indicators for assessing the post-harvest quality of cherries

Quality

01 Jan 2026

The use of ultrasound and nanobubbles in post-harvest cherry storage in Chile opens up new possibilities. Physiological indicators such as pitting, electrolyte levels allow the effectiveness of treatments to be assessed and fruit storage to be improved by up to 45 days.

Tag Popolari