3. Major aspects and results of sweet cherry and sour cherry breeding Author: Zsuzsanna Békefi
3.4. New cultivars
3.4.1. Sweet cherry cultivars
Early Bigi®: Bred in France, this is the earliest sweet cherry cultivar among those participating in the world‘s sweet cherry cultivation. The fruits are large, with soft flesh, acidic, susceptible to cracking. The tree is highly vigorous. Self-sterile.
Summac (Sweet Valentine®): A mutation of cultivar ‗Lapins‘. Patented in New Zealand. Late-ripening, the fruits are large, dark red, kidney-shaped, the flesh is firm, juicy, very sweet, has a moderate acid content. The tree is highly vigorous with a half-upright habit.
Stardust: The fruits are similar to those of ‗Rainier‘ but yields later. Accommodates better to extreme climatic conditions, self-fertile.
Figure 3.15.: Stardust
source: http://www.picocorp.com
Skeena: It was bred in Canada, medium-late-ripening, the fruits are shiny, large, crunchy. Has a sweet taste. Self-fertile, high-yielding. As an advantage, it is not susceptible to cracking.
Figure 3.16.: Skeena
source: http://www.picocorp.com
Staccato: Ripens very late, has a very sweet taste, bred in Canada, self-fertile. The fruits are large, with a firm flesh, the skin is dark red.
Figure 3.17.: Staccato
source: http://www.littlechurchorganics.com
Starblush: A very large-fruited blushed sweet cherry, the red cover colour has an intensive contrast to the yellow ground colour. The fruits are very sweet.
Figure 3.18.: Starblush
source: http://www.ips-plant.com
Sylvia: A cultivar bred in Canada. Ripens in the middle of the season. It is good yielding, its fruits are 25-27 mm in diameter, weigh 8-9 g, globose and have a dark skin. Its flesh firmness is good, not
susceptible to cracking, has a good taste. Stores very well, susceptible to Monilia. Self-sterile. The cultivar‘s advantage, that its tree is less vigorous, compact.
Figure 3.19.: Sylvia
source: Arno Orchard Nursery
Canada Giant: A cultivar of the Canadian breeding program. Its fruits are very large, dark red, shiny, heart-shaped. Less susceptible to cracking, sweet, pleasing, has a flavoured taste. The tree is highly vigorous, develops an upright canopy.
Figure 3.20.: Canada Giant www.johan-nicolai.com
Samba: It was bred in Canada. Ripens in the medium period, the fruits are deep red, large, slightly susceptible to cracking. It has a good fruitfulness, self-fertile. Fruits can be left on the tree without quality loss. The tree is slightly vigorous, sets with a lot of fruiting parts.
Figure 3.21.: Samba source: www.picocorp.com
Cultivars bred in Italy:
Sweet Early™: An advantage, that it is a very early cultivar, ripens 2-4 days before ‗Bigarreau Burlat‘.
The skin is red, the flesh is pink. It has a medium firm flesh, sweetish. Self-fertile, high-yielding.
Develops a vigorous, upright canopy.
Figure 3.22.: Sweet Early™
source: http://agronotizie.imagelinenetwork.com
Black Star: Ripens in the medium period. Its fruit is large, dark red, heart-shaped. The fruit flesh is very firm, its taste is very sweet, clingstone. Resistant to cracking. Self-fertily, very high-yielding.
Figure 3.23.: Black Star
source: http://www.agricoltura24.com
Big Star: Ripens in the medium-late period, its skin and flesh are both red.
The fruits are large, shining red, the flesh is moderately firm, juicy. Self-sterile variety, with reliable yield.
Figure 3.24.: Big Star
source: http://www.vivaitopplant.it
Grace Star: Ripens in the medium-early period, its large, heart-shaped, uniform fruits are red, the flesh is pink. Has a long stem, the fruits are half freestone, tasty, sweet-acidic. Self-sterile variety.
Figure 3.25.: Grace Star source: http://campodeifrutti.it 3.4.2. Sour cherry cultivars
Oblacinska: This is a popular cultivar in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. Its fruit is dark red, small (16-17 mm), with a dyed juice. The taste is fresh, acidic-sweet. Develops a globose, small, dense canopy. Its fruits are the raw material for chocolate liqueur cherry pralines, and can be used for juice production as well.
Cultivars bred in Germany (in Dresden, in the present Julius Kühn Institut):
Coralin: a novelty bred in the research institute of Dresden. Its medium early fruits are medium large, dark red, separate easily from the stem, therefore suitable for machine harvest. Its resistance to leaf diseases is an advantage. Its shoots are not susceptible to leaflessness.
Figure 3.26.: Coralin
source: http://www.jki.bund.de
Spinell: A sour cherry cultivar with very large, dark red and sweet fruits.
Susceptible to Monilinia branch necrosis. Partly self-sterile, has a good fruitfulness.
Figure 3.27.: Spinell
source: http://www.jki.bund.de
Jade: The fruits are large, tasty, sweet-acidic. The kidney-shaped fruits are dark red. Late-ripening, self-fertile, high-yielding. Slightly susceptible to Monilinia branch necrosis and susceptible to Blumeriella leaf spot.
Figure 3.28.: Jade
source: http://www.jki.bund.de
Rubellit: Late-ripening cultivar with medium large fruits. Its deep red fruits have an acidic taste. Its slight susceptibility to leaf spot and Monilinia is an advantageous characteristic.
Figure 3.29.: Rubellit
source: http://www.jki.bund.de
Control questions:
1. What are the aims of sweet cherry breeding regarding fruit quality?
2. What are the disadvantageous characteristics of early-ripening sweet cherry cultivars?
3. What is the difference between the sweet cherry variety use of Europe and America?
4. What is the difference between the sour cherry variety use of Europe and America?
5. Where can we find sweet cherry breeding in the world? Describe the features of each country in this respect!
6. Where can we find sour cherry breeding in the world? Describe the features of each country in this respect!
7. Describe a European new sweet cherry cultivar!
8. Which new sour cherry cultivars do you know? Describe one of these!
9. Specify and describe some sweet cherry cultivars popular in America!
10. Which is the most popular sour cherry cultivar in Western Europe?
11. Where can we find sour cherry resistance breeding in Europe? Describe some cultivars!
12. Which sour cherry cultivar is suitable for chocolate liqueur cherry praline production?
References:
Eris, A., Lang, G.A., Gulen, H., Ipek, A. (2008): Proceedings of the Fifth International Cherry Symposium. Acta Horticulturae 795.
Good Fruit Grower periodical, issues May-June 2012
Hrotkó, K. (2003): Cseresznye és meggy. (Sweet and sour cherry) Mezőgazda Kiadó, Budapest.
Iezzoni, A.F. (2008): Cherries. In: Hancock, J.F. (ed): Temperate Fruit Crop Breeding. Springer Science+Business Media B.V. p 151-175.
Long, L.E., Whiting, M. and Nuñez-Elisea, R. (2007): Sweet cherry cultivars for the fresh market. A Pacific Northwest Extension Publication, Oregon State University, 10 pp.
Lugli, S., Musacchi, S., Grandi, M., Bassi, G., Franchini, S., Zago, M. (2011): The sweet cherry production in northern Italy: innovative rootstocks and emerging high-density plantings. Proceedings of the 3rd Conference „Innovations in Fruit Growing―, Belgrade, p75-92.
National Food Chain Safety Office (NÉBIH/NFCSO) department of cultivar evaluation, personal information
Pérez-Sánchez, R., Gómez-Sánchez, M.Á., Morales-Corts, M.R. (2010): Description and quality evaluation of sweet cherries cultured in Spain. Journal of Food Quality 33: 490–506.
Tóth, M. (1997): Gyümölcsészet. (Pomology) Primom Kiadó, Nyíregyháza.
Tóth, M. (2009): Gyümölcsfaj- és fajtaismeret. (Fruit species and cultivars) Egyetemi jegyzet. BCE Gyümölcstermő Növények Tanszék, Budapest.
www.jki.bund.de - Homepage of the Julius Kühn Institute, Dresden www.turikissfarm.hu
4. Major trends of European and Japanese plum breeding and its results recommended for