For fourteen years, the Sweet Cherry Breeding Programme (PMGCe) at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile has been developing new cherry varieties adapted to Chile’s changing climate and meeting the quality requirements of international export markets.
The programme focuses on low-chill, early-ripening varieties with greater tolerance to heat, drought, irregular rainfall, fruit cracking and double fruit formation, while maintaining the size, firmness, sweetness, colour and storage life required for long-distance exports to Asia.
For fourteen years, the Sweet Cherry Breeding Programme (PMGCe) at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC) has been developing cherry varieties capable of maintaining productivity and fruit quality under increasingly challenging climatic conditions.
The programme combines climate resilience with the strict quality requirements of international markets, particularly Asian markets, which are the main destination for Chilean cherry exports.
Historically, central Chile has offered favourable Mediterranean conditions for cherry production. However, climate change is increasingly altering these conditions.
Milder winters reduce the accumulation of winter chill needed for normal dormancy release, increasing growers’ reliance on dormancy-breaking agents.
Meanwhile, summers are becoming hotter and drier, and high solar radiation encourages double fruit formation.
Increasing spring weather variability can bring cold, cloudy skies and rain during flowering and pollination, while unseasonal rainfall close to harvest can compromise fruit quality.
Unpredictable rainfall during fruit development also increases the risk of cracking, one of the most serious forms of damage in cherry production.
These changes threaten both productivity and Chilean growers’ ability to consistently produce export-quality fruit.
The PMGCe addresses these challenges through long-term breeding and selection of genotypes specifically adapted to the changing conditions of central Chile.
A key objective is to develop early-ripening, low-chill varieties that require less winter chill and are suited to warmer conditions.
The programme also selects varieties tolerant to cracking, heatwaves, extreme drought and irregular rainfall, with a lower tendency towards double fruit formation.
Climate resilience goes hand in hand with the quality characteristics demanded by international markets. Candidate varieties are selected for large fruit size, firmness and sweetness, attractive colour, a low incidence of physiological disorders and excellent postharvest performance.
A long postharvest storage life is particularly important for Chilean exports, as cherries may spend weeks in transit before reaching Asian markets.
After fourteen years of breeding and selection, the programme has identified three advanced early-ripening selections, which have now entered the larger-scale propagation stage.
Starting in 2026, these selections will be evaluated for quality, yield and postharvest storage life over two or three seasons as they progress towards potential variety registration.
In parallel, approximately 1,000 promising individuals have been grafted onto rootstocks and planted at four sites in central Chile, representing different climatic conditions.
This multi-site evaluation will generate field data on adaptability, performance and stability, helping to identify further advanced selections.
By 2030, the programme expects to have at least one registered variety and four advanced selections undergoing evaluation across multiple sites and rootstocks.
Developing low-chill varieties can reduce reliance on dormancy-breaking agents, while greater tolerance to climatic stresses can support production systems that are more resilient and potentially less dependent on chemicals.
The project also has significant socioeconomic benefits. By helping cherry orchards remain productive under changing climatic conditions, the programme supports employment and livelihoods in rural areas and strengthens the competitiveness of Chile’s cherry industry in international markets.
The programme currently works with technology partners and companies hosting PMGCe germplasm for pre-commercial evaluation.
The programme is seeking new partners interested in supporting cherry breeding through funding, additional evaluation sites and commercial-scale collaborations.
Source: waitro.org
Image source: Stefano Lugli
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