France: Salvi’s high-density cherry orchard open day draws strong interest

In Monteux, France, over 60 professionals took part in a technical event focused on pruning and production management of modern cherry orchards. The spotlight was on the Sweet Series developed by the University of Bologna.

The future of European cherry growing lies in field-level innovation and in enhancing high-performance varieties. This clearly emerged on December 16 in Monteux, in the French department of Vaucluse, during the Open Day organized by Salvi France, a subsidiary of the Salvi Vivai Group.

The event focused on cherry tree pruning in high-density orchards and attracted more than sixty growers, technicians, and specialized operators from different regions of France.

Focus on the Sweet Series

The day opened with a presentation of Salvi France’s activities, followed by a technical visit to commercial high-density orchards in their second and fourth year.

At the heart of the discussion were the Sweet Series varieties developed by the University of Bologna: cherry trees capable of delivering large fruit size, consistent yields, and high-level organoleptic quality.

Guided by Salvi France experts and Italian technicians from Salvi Vivai, participants were able to closely analyze the different varieties in the field, assessing their behavior, sensitivity, and the most effective agronomic strategies to optimize productivity and fruit quality.

Pruning and canopy management

The most anticipated moment of the day was the session dedicated to the practical pruning demonstration, with a focus on branch renewal and the management of one-year-old whips within the trellis system.

Salvi agronomists emphasized that proper pruning is not merely a matter of shape, but a key factor in ensuring good canopy light interception, facilitating harvesting operations, and, above all, containing management costs.

“The high level of participation shows that we are heading in the right direction,” commented the Salvi team. “Direct dialogue between technicians and growers, especially in the field, is essential to drive the evolution of the entire cherry supply chain.

The combination of the Sweet Series with modern high-density systems represents a concrete response to current market demands.”

A successful collaborative model

The event concluded in a friendly and informal atmosphere, with a lunch that encouraged the exchange of experiences between French growers and Italian technicians, strengthening a model of collaboration based on trust and continuous technical support.

With this event, Salvi Vivai confirms its international leadership, not only in supplying high-quality nursery material, but also as a reference point for the dissemination of agronomic know-how needed to successfully address the challenges of the modern cherry sector.

Text and image source: freshplaza.it

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