The genetic improvement programme on the cherry tree at the Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI) has an almost century-long tradition. The first activities were started by M. Schmidt in Müncheberg in the 1930s. Later, M. Zwitzscher continued the project at the Max Planck Institut in Cologne by propagating the varieties Primavera and Sekunda, while E.L. Loewel in Jork selected and propagated a dozen varieties, including Regina.
More recently, in Dresden, M. Fischer started a new breeding programme aimed at self-fertility and resistance to bacterial cancer by Pseudomonas spp, leading to the release of the NA series varieties Namosa, Nadina, Namare and Namati.
Since 2001, the project has been in the hands of M. Schuster at the JKI in Pillnitz. The cherry varieties Narana (ripens with Burlat), Swing® PiSue 192* (+8 Burlat), Polka (+10 Burlat), Aria® PiSue 161 (+14 Burlat), Areko (+17 Burlat), PiSue 177 (+19 Burlat) and Habunt, a two-coloured cherry ripens 20 days after Burlat.
Below the report of Mirko Schuster presented at the workshop on cherry variety innovation at Macfrut 2023.
30 Jul 2025
The Ukrainian late cherry positions itself as a competitive product in foreign markets. Harvested in a strategic period, it avoids competition from early varieties and targets Middle Eastern and European markets with quality and optimal volumes for export.
29 Sep 2025
Chilean cherries continue to dominate in China, but markets like North America and Europe demand consistent quality. The industry's challenge is to improve production standards, focusing on size, firmness, and defect-free fruit to remain globally competitive.
26 Jun 2026
A three-year study in Poland compares organic and conventional sour cherries, showing that cultivar, climate and season affect fruit quality more than orchard management alone. Oblačinska stands out as the most promising cultivar for high-quality organic production.
26 Jun 2026
A Tasmanian study examines how clear and opaque rain covers change orchard microclimate, light, leaf physiology and cherry quality, combining replicated field trials and grower case studies to help producers improve fruit performance, harvest timing and storage potential.
