"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.
12 Jun 2025
Technology, genetics and sustainability: cherry farming in Moldova is evolving with varieties like Ferrovia, Regina, Skeena and rootstocks such as Gisela 6 and Cerasus mahaleb L. A strategic approach to improve yield and reduce environmental impact.
20 Mar 2024
In Chile researcher studied the effect of foliar application of the biostimulant Retard Cherry® before leaf fall in cv. Regina and Sweetheart. The use of Retard Cherry® resulted in a 6-8 day delay of full flowering. However, the harvest date remained unchanged.
03 Nov 2026
From packing houses in Yakima, Washington, to Asian markets, machine vision analyzes and sorts cherries, reduces waste, and enables refrigerated sea shipping. Here’s how the technology is changing quality standards, prices, and global demand around Chinese Lunar New Year.
03 Nov 2026
Iberian Cherry brings Spain and Portugal together to advance sustainable cherry production. The project combines biodiversity protection, regenerative farming and digital technologies, involving 50 pilot farms in the Jerte Valley and Portugal's Cova da Beira region.
