'Selección 21' (S-21) cherry variety, the first to be completely of Chilean origin. The name S-21 may seem an unattractive term, but in reality it represents the result of more than 14 years of effort, research and development conducted by the Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA), in collaboration with the Consorcio Biofrutales.
This focused effort took shape within the Programa de Mejoramiento Genético (PMG) del Cerezo, with the aim of creating a high quality cherry variety suited to the needs of the Chilean export industry.
The success of S-21 was sanctioned by the unanimous approval of the INIA's Regional Committee for the Release of New Varieties, a crucial step for the regional and national fruit sector. This represents only the beginning of a process that will lead to the full approval, legal protection and subsequent commercial cultivation of the variety.
From a technical point of view, S-21 was selected in the Coquimbo region, which gives it a natural genetic adaptation to warm temperate conditions. In addition, it was also successfully evaluated in the central-southern part of Chile, expanding cultivation possibilities in regions such as Valparaíso, Metropolitan, O'Higgins and Maule.
After five seasons of evaluation, it proved to be vigorous and presented a semi-erect habit, with constant twig production throughout the year, improving fruit quality both at harvest and post-harvest.
S-21 is a two-colour variety belonging to the Rainier segment, characterised by excellent flavour, large size, a greater inclination towards jumbo and superjumbo sizes, good colour and excellent storage after 30 days of cold storage, which makes it suitable for export to foreign markets.
Read the full article: PortalFrutícola.com
Imag: PortalFrutícola.com
30 Apr 2025
In 2025, Spain’s cherry harvest will start 7–10 days later than usual. Forecasts predict excellent fruit sizes, stable volumes, and promising new export prospects with the opening of the Chinese market, a key driver for growth in the coming seasons.
24 Oct 2024
Thirty-two ‘Staccato’ plots located in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia were selected, representing a range of growing conditions in the BC interior. Thirty-one of the blocks were on Mazzard rootstock and one on Colt rootstock.
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.
