First names are Aryana, Dave, Lorenz, Gabriel, Saretta, Stephany and Valina, the names of the children of those who invented and selected them. Their surnames are Sweet, testifying to one of their salient features, sweetness. Born from the '30 e lode' project, the cherry varieties of the Sweet series by Alma Mater Studiorum celebrate 10 years since their release.
Sweet but with a good level of acidity to enhance the aroma, uniform and bright red colour, large and firm: these are the characteristics sought and obtained for the new Sweet cherry varieties.
To do this, the university researchers started from some old native varieties, the famous Duroni di Vignola, bearers of valuable characteristics such as sweetness, texture and aroma, and combined their characteristics with those of some American varieties, bearers of excellent aesthetic characteristics such as large size, appearance and bright colour. The aim was to create a series of new high quality varieties, ripe at different times and able to cover a harvest calendar of 30-40 days, i.e. the whole short seasonality of the cherry product.
Timing of the start of harvest of Sweet series cherry varieties compared with some reference varieties. Ripening times refer to Emilia Romagna.
The breeding programme from which the Sweet cherries originated started at the beginning of the century in the experimental fields of the University of Bologna in Vignola, the Italian cherry capital. To focus on the objectives of the programme, a preliminary survey was conducted to identify the expectations of all stakeholders, but reversing the priorities that are normally followed in such programmes. Thus, the expectations of consumers were considered first, followed by those of industry and trade, and ending with those from the world of production.
Without using gene transformation techniques, the Alma Mater researchers worked for more than 10 years trying out crosses and selections according to traditional methods, but also making use of modern technologies. Thanks to biotechnology, it was possible, for example, to create a genetic identity card for Sweet cherries and to check their health status. Biochemical methods have been used to identify the aromatic substances that give these fruits their characteristic fragrance and to identify the nutraceutical components that identify their functional and health value. For quality assessment, a tool patented by the University of Bologna has been used, the Cherry Mater, which allows rapid and precise assessment of the degree of ripeness of the drupes, combined with the most classic of systems, sensory analysis using panel and consumer tests.
At the end of this selection process, which started from a progeny of several thousand cherries, only seven of these were chosen and became new varieties: seven sisters, all with one highest common denominator, high quality. The seven Sweet varieties have therefore been protected by Community and international trademarks and patents owned by UNIBO and commercially diffused in all the countries of the world with exclusive agreements thanks to the valuable work of UNIBO's Knowledge Transfer Office - KTO, a strategic sector of the University created to protect and enhance the patents of the Alma Mater.
Exclusive licensing contracts of Sweet varieties made by the University of Bologna worldwide (Source: KTO UNIBO, 2022)
In the ten years since their presentation to the general public, Sweet cherries have won several awards: the 'Oscar all'Innovazione' award on the occasion of their christening at Macfrut, the 'Best Cherry in Italy' prize awarded to Sweet Lorenz and that of 'Most Beautiful Cherry in Italy' awarded to Sweet Valina by the jury of the National Association of Cherry Towns of Italy, the inclusion of the Sweet varieties in the PGI Ciliegia di Vignola and, the icing on the cake, the Guinness World Records obtained last year by Sweet Stephany, the largest cherry in the world.
Origin: University of Bologna, Italy by S. Lugli, R. Correale and M. Grandi. Tested as DCA BO A1A70. Community trademark and trade mark in the process of filing.
It is the latest from Alma Mater Studiorum. Sweet Dave® has good vigour and a good habitus that makes it adaptable to different planting patterns, densities and shapes. Self-incompatible, the variety has an S1S4 allelic profile. Flowering time is early and it is well pollinated by Sweet Aryana® (S3S4') and Sweet Lorenz® (S3S4). The production yields recorded so far are very good and in line with the values expressed by other early varieties of the same group. The ripening of the fruits coincides with the main staccato of Burlat and starts on 20-25 May and then continues for a week and more. The fruits are good-looking, cordiform-depressed and large, purple-red, with juicy, crisp and firm flesh. The flavour is sweet, aromatic and well balanced in the ratio of sugars to acids.
Origin: University of Bologna, Italy by S. Lugli, R. Correale and M. Grandi. Tested as DCA BO A1A1; EU Patent 48925/2018.
Early, self-fertile variety, ripens 3-5 days after Burlat. Fruits have medium to large size, bright dark red colour, flesh with good texture, crispy, sweet taste and fair acidity. Fruits ripen uniformly, have a good in-plant retention with a harvest window of 10 days, but are susceptible to cracking, a phenonomen that in rainy years is mostly found in the peduncular zone and at the apex. The tree has an intermediate vigour, expanded habit, with a good attitude to branching laterally, and standard fruiting habitus. It produces mainly on darts and flower buds placed at the base of one-year branches. Productivity is constant and high on both vigorous (14-15 t/ha) and weak (15-17 t/ha) rootstocks and fruiting is early (3rd or 4th year after planting). It is self-fertile with allelic profile S3S4' with early flowering.
Origin: University of Bologna, Italy by S. Lugli, R. Correale and M. Grandi. Tested as DCA BO A1C27; EU Patent 48926/2018.
Early variety of which the first plantings are being made in Italy. Ripens 8-10 days after Burlat. Cordiform fruits have medium-high size, bright red colour, flesh with excellent texture and crispness, good sweet taste, low acidity and aroma. Fruits ripen uniformly, have a good retention in the plant with a harvest window of 14 days. The tree has high vigour and semi-expanded habit with good branching and standard fruiting habitus. It produces mainly on darts and on flower buds at the base of one-year branches with a consistently high average quantity especially on weak rootstocks (13-15 t/ha). Fruiting is early (3rd or 4th year after planting). Flowering is early, it is self-incompatible with allelic profile S3S4 and is well pollinated by Sweet Gabriel® and Sweet Saretta®.
Origine: Università di Bologna, Italia da S. Lugli, R. Correale and M. Grandi. Testata come DCABO A1C40; UE Patent 48927/2018.
A recently introduced variety which, like all those in the Sweet group, is just beginning to be planted in Italy. Ripens at an intermediate stage, 14-16 days after Burlat. Fruits have medium-high size, bright red colour, excellent flesh consistency, good sweet flavour, low acidity. The drupes ripen uniformly with excellent retention on the plant (harvest window of 12-14 days). The tree has medium-high vigour and expanded habit, well branched with standard fruiting habitus. It produces mainly on darts and flower buds at the base of one-year-old branches. The variety is very productive and constant when grafted onto weak rootstocks (16-18 t/ha), has early fruiting and is suitable for different types of planting and training forms. Flowering is medium early, similar to Burlat, it is self-incompatible with allelic profile S1S4 and is well pollinated by Sweet Aryana®, Sweet Lorenz®, Sweet Valina® and Sweet Saretta®.
Origin: University of Bologna, Italy by S. Lugli, R. Correale and M. Grandi. Tested as DCA BO B5D23; EU Patent 48928/2018.
It ripens at an intermediate stage, 18-20 days after Burlat. Fruits have medium-high calibre (60% are over 30 mm), bright red colour, good flesh texture, good sweet taste (>19 °brix and acidity 9 g/l), ripen uniformly and have a good in-plant retention with a harvest window of 10-12 days. The tree has high vigour and a semi-expanded, well-branched habit with standard fruiting habitus. It produces mainly on darts and flower buds at the base of one-year branches, has a fairly good productivity and constant production (12-14 t/ha), with medium-early fruiting. It is susceptible to cracking. Flowering is +3/4 Burlat, is self-incompatible with allelic profile S3S4 and is well pollinated by Sweet Garbiel® and Sweet Saretta®.
Origin: University of Bologna, Italy by S. Lugli, R. Correale and M. Grandi. Tested as DCA BO B5A87; EU Patent 48927/2018.
Recently established variety that ripens medium-late, 22-24 days after Burlat. Fruits are medium to large in size, bright red in colour, good flesh consistency, good flavour tends to be balanced, ripens uniformly and has a fairly good in-plant retention with a harvest window of about ten days. The tree has high vigour and expansive habit, well branched with standard fruiting habitus. It produces well and mainly on darts and flower buds at the base of one-year branches; in combination with dwarfing rootstocks productivity is constant (15 t/ha), and it has a very early fruiting. It is susceptible to cracking. Flowering is +2/3 Burlat, it is self-fertile with allelic profile S3S4.
Origin: University of Bologna, Italy by S. Lugli, R. Correale and M. Grandi. Tested as DCA BO B5A89; EU Patent Application 2594/2015.
Recently established variety, ripens medium-late, 25-27 days after Burlat. Fruits have a very high average size, bright vermilion red colour, excellent flesh consistency, good flavour, ripen uniformly and have a discrete in-plant retention with a harvest window of about ten days. The tree has high vigour and intermediate bearing, well branched with standard fruiting habitus. It produces mainly on darts and flower buds at the base of one year branches; very good in combination with dwarfing rootstocks (15 t/ha), has very early fruiting and is very susceptible to cracking. Flowering is +1/2 Burlat, it is self-fertile with allelic profile S3S4'.
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