"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.
23 Oct 2024
‘After a winter that was generous with cold hours,’ says Nicolás Güizzo, the company's technical director, ’and a thermal build-up that gave us spring days, we are excited to start a new season with more volume and excellent quality.
10 Jun 2024
On 5 June, six tonnes of fresh cherries were shipped to China in a reefer container. This important milestone marks the beginning of a promising export relationship between Pakistan and China, facilitated by the phytosanitary agreement signed between the two countries in 2022.
08 Jul 2026
Allyl isothiocyanate from black mustard seeds helps protect sweet cherries from postharvest fungal decay. Research on Burlat shows performance comparable to fludioxonil, preserving firmness and visual quality in modified-atmosphere packaging for more sustainable active packaging.
08 Jul 2026
Apulian Ferrovia cherries close out a high-quality season, supported by Italy’s domestic market and slowed by Greece and Turkey. Late varieties such as Staccato open new prospects to extend harvests, sales, and profitability for Italian cherries beyond mid-July in Puglia.
