News about Germany

Lightweight agrivoltaics over cherry trees: a pioneering pilot plant in Germany

Covers

18 Apr 2025

A groundbreaking agrivoltaic pilot project in Germany installs lightweight solar panels over cherry orchards using existing weather protection systems—maximizing land use, preserving fruit yields and offering a replicable, sustainable model for smart farming across Europe.

A freak of nature: how the Natalie® striped cherry came into being

Varieties

11 Feb 2025

The tree of Natalie® grows like Regina, only the fruit has a different appearance. It is an attraction in every orchard. The recommended pollinator varieties are 'Sylvia' or 'Kordia'. The fruits ripen late (mid to late July), are very large, with firm flesh and slightly aromatic.

From resistance genes to the development of new varieties of sour cherries

Breeding

27 Dec 2024

The objective of this research (conducted at the Institute for Breeding Research on Fruit Crops in Dresden, Germany) was to use computational methods and bioinformatics tools to investigate the presence and distribution of resistance genes in the two subgenomes of sour cherry.

Cherry consumption on the rise in EU while production is decreasing steadily

Production

07 Nov 2024

Area planted to cherry trees in the EU continues to decline slowly as old orchards are not renewed. In 2024, the production declines in Poland and Italy will push the overall EU output forecast down. EU consumption of cherries in MY 2024/25 is expected to increase.

Best season in five years for Turkish cherries in 2024

Markets

01 Nov 2024

The outlook is favourable for Turkish cherry exporters, which in 2024 experienced one of the best seasons in recent years, thanks to an already improved performance the previous year. In 2023, exports amounted to USD 83 million.

Cherries and sour cherries are sisters

Breeding

26 Sep 2024

‘Sour cherries originated in the Caspian and Black Sea regions through the natural crossing of the two parental species of the steppe cherry and the sweet cherry. The exact time, place and structure of the genome have not yet been fully clarified.

Here is the balance of the German market in the latest USDA report

Production

05 Sep 2024

Germany is the third-largest importer of fresh cherries worldwide, after China/Hong Kong and Russia. From 2010 to 2022, between 52% and 77% of the cherries consumed in Germany were imported, with most imports coming from other EU member states

Wild bees: enhancing pollination efficiency in sweet cherry orchards

Crop protection

25 Jul 2024

The Belgian study focused on sweet cherry trees and observed the interaction between bumblebees and honeybees. The presence of bumblebees, particularly wild queens, was found to significantly influence honeybees’ behavior; they increased the row-switching frequency by ten times.

Altes Land (Germany): early harvest but quality cherries thanks to covers

Production

03 Jul 2024

'Thanks to the early blossoming this year, the harvest is particularly early,' explains Claus Schliecker, president of Landvolk Niedersachsen. He and his colleagues invest around EUR 120,000 per hectare to cover the cherry trees with rain covers and insect nets.

Price trends: downward fluctuations in the German market

Markets

01 Jul 2024

Spanish offerings dominated the scene and played a particularly important role in Berlin. Fruit larger than 32 mm cost about EUR 8 per kg. In Hamburg and Cologne, the presence had expanded considerably and were therefore cheaper.