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 Sep 2024
Researchers in Uzbekistan evaluated the effectiveness of different combinations of distance and duration of ultraviolet (UV-C) treatment in comparison to untreated cherries. Ten cherries per treatment were placed in a polypropylene container at room temperature for five days.
03 Jul 2025
British Columbia cherry growers are celebrating their first full crop since 2018, promising record-breaking volumes. With ideal weather, a longer sales window, and growing demand, this 2025 season positions Canada as a key player in the global cherry export market.
10 Jul 2026
Moldova’s late-season sweet cherries are entering peak sales with rising prices, export-grade quality and fresh opportunities across European markets. Weather delays, regional competition and selective demand are shaping a crucial July for growers and traders alike.
10 Jul 2026
The global cherry market in 2026 is shaped by larger crops, lower prices and sharp regional differences. From Italy to China, weather, quality, production, trade strategies and exports are redefining the balance of the international cherry season in key markets worldwide.
