Stefano Lugli - SL Fruit Service (IT)
Chair of Cherry Times technical-scientific committee
The cultivar (cv) Royal Helen* produced by a young producer from the province of Modena (IT) was awarded the title of 'Most Beautiful Cherry in Italy' 2023. Congratulations to Riccardo Bergonzini. The jury of the competition that rewards Italian excellence every year during an initiative now in its XXIV edition, supported by teams of renowned chefs and qualified experts of this fruit of paradise, decreed the Californian maiden as the most charming of cherries, but not the tastiest.
IMAGE 1: Classification of the national 'Cherries of Italy' competition 2023
The fine palates of the commission decided that the award for the best cherry should go to an elderly lady from Campania, now at the end of her career, the variety Spernocchia.
IMAGE 2: Spernocchia
Old hen makes good stock? Wisdom comes with age? It depends on the point of view. I share a thought by Oscar Whild that seems pertinent: With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.
Royal Helen's value
IMAGE 3: Royal Helen*
A pragmatic view, supported by experimental experience and direct observations in orchards, leads us to say that Royal Helen* should rightfully be included in the top ten of the new late season cherry varieties. For these three reasons: high aesthetic standards, excellent cherry quality and high production performance.
IMAGE 4: Main features of Royal Helen*
The varieties of the Royal® series, the Californian cherries of Zaiger Genetics, were presented to the general public four years ago at the International Cherry Symposium in Vignola (IT). Among them is the cultivar Royal Helen*.
Links for further information:
14 Dec 2023
The Santina variety, less susceptible to Pss infection, activates its response more quickly, differentially expressing 70% more genes than Bing (831 DEG). The plants of the Bing variety gradually strengthened their response, reaching, at 7 dpi, a more robust response (1471 DEG).
27 May 2024
The research evaluated the effect of the product Botan Foliar on fruit production and quality in Santina variety cherry trees grafted on Colt rootstock. Product applications and evaluations were carried out during the spring of the 2023-24 season.
26 Mar 2026
A study in Puglia explores how grafting affects Prunus mahaleb metabolism, revealing differences in sugars, acids, and bioactive compounds between grafted and ungrafted plants, with key implications for fruit quality, nutraceutical value, and rootstock use.
26 Mar 2026
USDA proposes new marketing rules for Washington sweet cherries: higher minimum size requirements, exceptions for Rainier and Royal Anne, updated packaging categories, and more aligned standards to support grower profitability and access to crop insurance.
