Cherry Times offers its readers the reports on cherry rootstocks presented at the Macfrut 2024 International Rootstock Symposium.
The Krymsk Experimental Breeding Station has a long history of breeding interspecific rootstocks for stone fruit. The 6000 Prunus accessions in their collection are being used for combining useful traits of stress and disease resistances into new interspecific rootstock genotypes suitable as rootstocks for multiple stone fruit species.
For testing and propagation in Europe, the United States and several other countries outside Russia, Varieties International has obtained a license and has imported several promising rootstocks suitable for almond, apricot, cherry, nectarine, peach and plum.
The selection of these interspecific rootstocks was made on basis of the induced tree vigor and tolerance to various environmental stresses like drought, flooding, frost and the pH and salt content of the soil. At present seven Krymsk rootstocks have been patented and have been commercially released.
Image 1: Frank Maas.
Since 2017 about 20 new selections have been imported into Europe and the USA. After release from quarantine these rootstocks have been propagated and test trees have been grown. In Europe the first test trees of plum varieties ‘Jubilieum’ and ‘Opal’ and sweet cherry varieties ‘Kordia’ and ‘Regina’ were planted in 2023, using rootstock genotypes with a vigor between very dwarfing to semi-dwarfing.
After the first growing season in the differences in tree vigor are already becoming visible. However, it will take several more years to evaluate how the fruit production and growth the trees will develop and to find out which of these rootstocks will be a better choice for the fruit grower than the ones currently used.
Download the full report here
Download the presentation here
Frank Maas
Varieties International/Nedworc Foundation
frank.maas.nl@gmail.com
12 Aug 2025
In South Africa’s Western Cape, sweet cherry success depends on varietal adaptation. An eight-year study across three environments shows how local trials and advanced models guide growers in selecting suitable cultivars, reducing risks, and ensuring yield and fruit quality.
29 Aug 2024
The sweet cherry season in Chile has been marked by a series of challenges that tested the entire supply chain. The uncertainty in production volumes, caused by inaccurate forecasts and adverse weather conditions, has negatively impacted the entire production process.
26 Dec 2025
In 2024, cherry consumption in the European Union reached 629,000 tonnes, marking a +4.5% increase on an annual basis and reaching its highest level in ten years. Production, imports and exports are also growing, with Italy and Spain among the leading countries.
25 Dec 2025
La Junta de Extremadura ha distribuito 904.540 euro nel secondo pagamento dell’aiuto straordinario 2024 per i cerasicoltori colpiti dal maltempo. La misura, parte del Decreto Legge 3/2025, prevede un’ultima tranche da un milione di euro in arrivo nei prossimi giorni.
