"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.
16 May 2025
Cherry growers face a crisis: overproduction, small sizes and poor quality threaten exports to China. Discipline, planning and targeted investments are now essential to produce premium fruit and recover competitiveness in global markets.
04 Jun 2024
‘That the Chiusa Sclafani cherry is the most extraordinary in Italy we have always known,’ says Angelo Vellino, the town's historic producer, ‘this is the result achieved thanks to the great commitment, professionalism and sacrifices of all the producers.
19 Jan 2026
With one million kilos of cherries exported, Frutos del Valle Patagónico becomes Patagonia’s second-largest cherry exporter. Through innovation, full traceability, and a reliable cold chain, the family-run business reaches Europe, Asia, and North America with top-quality fruit.
19 Jan 2026
Cherry stems, pits and pomace account for up to 30% of total output. This article explores how to turn agro-industrial waste into high-value products via green extraction and biorefineries. A concrete opportunity to support the circular bioeconomy.
