The clones of the GiSelA® series are the most widely used rootstocks in cherry cultivation in temperate climates. GiSelA® were obtained from a genetic improvement programme carried out at the University of Giessen, Germany. The aim of this project was to obtain a series of rootstocks with gradual control of tree vigour: dwarfing, semi-dwarfing and medium vigour rootstocks.
Among the major advantages of using GiSelA® are excellent earliness of fruiting and high productivity, good graft compatibility with both sweet and sour cherry varieties, regular branching with a wide growth habitus, good winter frost resistance and virus tolerance.
Obviously, the cultivation management of cherry trees must be adapted to the needs of GiSelA® clones: as they are very fertile rootstocks, they require early and regular pruning in order to ensure sufficient vegetative renewal. In addition, they require high and constant water and nutrient inputs in order to ensure good fruit quality combined with high productivity.
Below is the report of Johannes Feldmann, Director of the Consortium Deutscher Baumschulen - CDB, presented at the workshop on cherry varietal innovation at Macfrut 2023.
05 Feb 2024
Regarding rootstocks, one of the most promising approaches to increase plant resistance to viruses is post-transcriptional gene silencing, which employs RNA interference (RNAi) to prevent pathogenicity and virus replication.
05 Jun 2024
Researchers from Prosser (Washington) are inserting electrical sensors into the soil, burying a root camera and uprooting entire cherry trees to study how and when nutrients move through them in order to apply fertilisers at the right time.
20 Oct 2026
MSC Invernaderos’ Megatúnel protects cherries and berries from rain and hail. According to the company and Frutotech, it brings early cherry harvests forward by about 15 days, using Gothic arches and ventilation to manage growing conditions without energy-heavy heating.
20 Oct 2026
A dynamic predictive model estimates fungal growth in sweet cherries as temperatures change. Validated using experimental temperature profiles, it could support cold chain management and shelf life estimation, although further testing in commercial conditions is needed.
