Hungary's impressive cherry breeding programme recently celebrated its 70th anniversary. Started in the early post-war period by the late S. Brózik, one of the most prolific researchers and breeders in the world, the programme was continued by J. Apostol and, more recently, by Z. Békefi.
From the very beginning, the project was turned over to the Fruit Research Institute, then passed into the hands of NARIC - National Agricultural Research and Innovation Centre at the turn of the century and, from 2021, to the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Science in Budapest. All in all, more than 30 cherry varieties have been released.
In chronological order: the first clones (1, 3 and 45) from the selection of the local variety Germersdorfer (1980s); the varieties Margit, Linda, Katalin and Kavics (1990s); Aida, Anita, Axel, Carmen, Paulus, Petrus, Sandor, Tunde and Vera; Elvira (Edit), Magdolna, Kira, Pillangó (Papillon) and the new late selection 16/77 (2020s).
Read the full presented at Macfrut 2023 by Zsuzsanna Békefi, the current Hungarian project leader.
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