In cherry varietal improvement, time is one of the hardest variables to compress. Identifying a promising new variety is not enough: growers must wait for the tree to develop, bear fruit and demonstrate in the field whether it truly possesses the desired agronomic and commercial characteristics.
In the Jerte Valley, one of the most iconic areas of Spanish cherry growing, genomics is now aiming to shorten precisely this stage.
Cicytex and the Agrupación de Cooperativas Valle del Jerte have launched a project that will run until 2030, with the aim of making the selection of new cherry varieties faster and more precise.
The agreement, signed in December 2025, integrates genomic selection tools into a breeding programme that includes crosses, seedling production and multi-year field evaluations.
The principle is to use genetic information to identify the most promising plant materials earlier, without eliminating traditional agronomic trials.
The project will involve at least 1,000 trees and examine around 110 varieties from the collection maintained by Cicytex at the Cabrero experimental farm.
In a second phase, DNA extraction, genetic analyses and the production of periodic reports will be introduced to support decision-making within the breeding programme.
The contract has an overall budget of €44,900.
The aim, therefore, is not to replace plant observation with laboratory work, but to obtain certain information earlier which, using conventional methods, would take years before it could be assessed with sufficient certainty.
The stakes are particularly high in an area closely linked to cherry production. The Jerte Valley is home to more than 1.5 million cherry trees, whose spectacular blossoming each spring has also become a major tourist and economic attraction.
Behind this iconic image, however, lies a supply chain that must respond to constantly evolving market requirements.
The traditional certified supply had remained concentrated on a limited number of varieties, while commercial demand increasingly calls for larger fruit size, cherries better able to withstand the journey to market and wider marketing windows.
It is in this context that genomic selection can play a practical role.
Being able to identify specific traits more quickly means reducing the number of years required to determine which crosses genuinely deserve to continue through the selection process.
The characteristics being considered include fruit size, colour, flowering and ripening time, firmness and self-compatibility.
These traits have a direct impact on both agronomic management and the commercial potential of a new variety.
For a perennial tree crop, the benefit can be significant. A poor varietal choice cannot simply be corrected the following season: orchards, years of growth and investments make every decision far more binding than in annual crops.
Reducing the element of trial and error therefore becomes an economic factor as well as a scientific one.
The use of genetics, however, does not eliminate the need to verify the actual performance of the trees. A promising variety identified through genomic information must still prove its value under the production conditions for which it is being selected.
Climate adaptation, agronomic performance, fruit quality and commercial response will remain essential steps before new plant material can become a viable alternative for growers.
It is precisely the integration of laboratory and field work that represents one of the central elements of the project.
Genetic information gains value when it can be translated into operational decisions for technicians, cooperatives and farming businesses.
For Spanish fruit growing, the Jerte Valley project addresses one of the main bottlenecks in varietal improvement: the time required to reach a reliable decision.
In a European market where Jerte cherries are already sold in 25 European Union countries, accelerating selection could help develop a varietal offering that is better aligned with the future needs of production and the market.
Genomics alone does not guarantee that a new variety will succeed. It can, however, help identify earlier which plant materials have the best chance of reaching the finish line.
And this is probably the most significant change introduced by the project: not eliminating the years required for cherry selection, but making better use of that time by concentrating resources and trials on candidates that show the most promising potential from the outset.
Source: lahuertadigital.es
Image source: Stefano Lugli
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