The first experiences with cherry breeding at the VSUO in Holouvosy in the Czech Republic date back to the late 1960s. The main variety selected from this programme is Kordia, which in recent years has become one of the world's leading varieties in the medium-late ripening period, mainly due to its high fruit quality standards.
The primary objectives of the WSUO programme are cherry quality (size, texture and colour), resistance to cracking and rot, shelf life and plant productivity. MAS technologies are used in the breeding programme for the early selection of genotypes on several traits: self-fertility, spring frost resistance, drought and climate change tolerance and low chilling requirements.
WSUO, besides Kordia, has commercially propagated 28 cherry varieties. The best known are Early Korvik, Christiana, Felicita, Irena, Justyna, Kasandra, Tamara, Techlovan, Tim and Vanda.
Below is the report of Lubor Zelený, cherry breeding project manager at WSUO in Holouvosy, presented at the workshop on cherry variety innovation at Macfrut 2023.
08 Apr 2024
The SCRI project involved entomologists in 12 states in 2022 and 15 last year. Entomologist Xingeng Wang and his staff maintained a parental colony of G. brasiliensis (G1) and redistributed it to 17 laboratories in the US for breeding and release.
11 Jul 2024
In a recent study, researchers explored how ABA modulates these ripening processes at both genetic and epigenetic levels through RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS).
23 Jun 2025
Hungary's 2025 sour cherry harvest plummets to just 35,000 tons following devastating spring frosts. With key growing regions severely impacted and processing industry stocks nearly depleted, the market faces significant price hikes and widespread supply shortages across Europe.
23 Jun 2025
Chile’s cherry industry is turning organic. Growers and experts adopt bioinputs, biocontrol and field validation to meet global demands and reduce environmental impact. Between El Niño cycles and climate stress, biological tools are shaping the orchard of tomorrow.
