"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 Dec 2025
A detailed study highlights how high-pressure humidification in cold storage rooms significantly reduces cherry dehydration after hydrocooling, preserving fruit quality during post-harvest storage and before packaging, even in heterogeneous conditions.
03 Mar 2025
To preserve the quality of cherries, it is essential to control the temperature, relative humidity and gas composition (O₂ and CO₂) in the product environment during storage and transport.
16 Oct 2026
Rain in Chile threatens cherry quality as harvest approaches. The article outlines strategies to prevent fruit cracking and manage Botrytis, covering protective biofilms, chloride applications, irrigation management and timely treatments during ripening and harvest.
16 Oct 2026
Ciliegia delle Colline Veronesi moves towards PGI status after a successful public hearing on its production rules. The area spans 54 municipalities, over 1,200 hectares and more than 2,300 farms. Next come national procedures and EU scrutiny to protect local producers.
