"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.
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Little Cherry Disease threatens cherry orchards, causing small, unsaleable fruit. Learn how to recognise it, remove diseased trees and control vectors to protect the crop and keep production healthy and profitable. Practical strategies and up-to-date advice.
15 Sep 2023
In July, organic cherries achieved an average price of CHF 17.45/kg in the traditional retail trade (excl. discounters). Overall volumes increased steadily since 2021.
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Chile’s 2026/27 cherry season is projected at 132 million boxes. With volumes rising and China still the key market, refrigerated transport, cold chain management, traceability and advance logistics planning will be crucial to protect quality, timing and profitability.
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A new study shows that ethephon can delay flowering in Kordia sweet cherries, potentially reducing the risk of damage from late spring frosts. The effect varies by cultivar, dose and timing, and further multi-year field trials are needed before practical recommendations.
