"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 Aug 2024
The success of these intelligent greenhouses lies in their sophisticated monitoring and control systems. A large screen in the control room displays real-time data on temperature, humidity, light and carbon dioxide levels inside the greenhouse.
Markets Production Press review
09 Jan 2024
The overproduction of Californian cherries affected prices, triggering a downward spiral for Northwest cherries as well. The need for increased communication between Californian shippers and the Northwest industry could be a potential solution to avoid further price collapses.
27 Jan 2026
The 3rd Cherry Postharvest Course, led by advisor Patricio Morales, gathered over 250 industry experts to enhance the postharvest quality of Chilean cherries. Focus on plant diseases, biological strategies, and goals for an increasingly competitive global export market.
27 Jan 2026
Innovar launches a project to test and develop new IP cherry varieties from renowned European programmes like Gräb, JKI and Schwitzky. The initiative spans key Australian regions, focusing on premium quality, extended seasonality and long export-grade shelf life.
