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.
28 Aug 2025
With the local season over in Kashmir, India’s cherry market now depends entirely on imports. Air shipments from the US, Turkey, and Iran, along with sea freight from Mashhad, are sustaining supply. Quality is excellent, but rising freight and labor costs are driving up prices.
26 Sep 2023
The results of comparative experiments conducted on self-fertile 'Lapins' sweet cherry trees reveal that the rootstocks Gi 154/7 and Gisela 4 resulted in the highest yield per tree and yield efficiency, especially in terms of producing fruit weighing approximately 7 grammes.
13 Feb 2026
A joint study by Turkish institutes and the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (Pakistan) compares three sweet cherry drying technologies: MWD, MWHAD and Solar Tunnel Drying. Drying time, color, sugars, organic acids and phenolic compounds were evaluated for quality.
13 Feb 2026
In modern cherry orchards, economic sustainability is now essential. From varietal selection to season management, including yield, storage and packhouse efficiency, genetics and operational performance drive profitability across the global cherry supply chain.
