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.
04 May 2026
In France, the first Royal Tioga cherries reach the shelves as early as April thanks to protective systems against wind and rain. Early production reduces competition, improves growers’ margins and allows prices of up to €14 per kilo at the start of the season.
01 May 2023
FRUIT LUXURY COMPANY S.L., a family business located in Albalate de Cinca (Huesca), has six hectares of cherry trees cultivated in greenhouses with the aim of anticipating production and protecting them from bad weather such as rain, hail or wind.
29 Jul 2026
In the United Kingdom, BeeSAM2 combines artificial intelligence and computer vision to detect bee visits to cherry blossoms with high accuracy, reducing manual analysis while improving research into pollination, fruit set, crop stability and orchard productivity.
28 Jul 2026
Effective phytosanitary management of cherry wood requires prevention, accurate diagnosis and integrated strategies. Sanitary pruning, inoculum reduction, targeted treatments, biostimulation and seasonal monitoring help contain bacterial diseases and wood-decay fungi.
