"The super millionaire fruits of the Alma Mater": this is how Corriere della Sera headlined years ago when announcing the results obtained by researchers from the Department of Agri-food Sciences and Technologies of the University of Bologna on the cherry tree genetic improvement project: the seven Sweet® sisters, the new varieties named after the children or loved ones of their inventors.
A team led by Stefano Lugli who, starting from old indigenous varieties, the famous Duroni di Vignola, bearers of valuable traits such as sweetness, texture and aroma, has been able to combine these virtues with others, such as beauty, size and productivity, taking them from varieties of American origin.
Below, the report by Bettina Riedel, variety manager of UNIBO, presented at the seminar on cherry variety innovation at Macfrut 2023. Precisely at Macfrut, ten years ago, the Sweet® varieties made their debut winning, among others, the Oscar prize for innovation.
19 Mar 2024
A study was conducted in Ukraine to determine the impact of different pruning techniques and conditions on young cherry trees. The varieties used were 'Krupnoplidna' and 'Melitopolska Chorna', both grafted onto Colt rootstock.
02 Jul 2025
Chile's 2025/26 cherry season begins amid major challenges: oversupply, logistics breakdowns, and price drops. The industry now focuses on quality, sustainability, alternative markets, and stronger coordination to reduce risks and sustain global leadership.
07 Aug 2026
A study evaluates 92 entomopathogenic nematode strains against Drosophila suzukii. Steinernema carpocapsae NC116 shows high efficacy against larvae, while sublethal effects on adults open new opportunities for integrated pest management in cherry production.
07 Aug 2026
The 2026 Northwest U.S. cherry season enters its final phase with over 16 million boxes shipped. Volumes remain below the May forecast and Rainier cherries are sharply down, while flavor, size and quality stay high as dark sweet cherries support the final push in August.
