TESTING OF SWEET CHERRY VARIETIES IN BELGIUM

The accelerated introduction of new high quality sweet cherry varieties in the eighties and the early nineties has given the Belgian cherry industry a brighter future.
The three main varieties grown in Belgium at present are ‘Kordia’, ‘Lapins’ and ‘Regina’. However, these also have some disadvantages. ‘Kordia’ is susceptible to frost, with ‘Regina’ the fruit set is not reliable, and ‘Lapins’ is susceptible to cracking.
In addition to these 3 varieties, ‘Schneiders Späte Knorpelkirsche’, ‘Summit’, ‘Sweetheart’, ‘Karina’ and ‘Sylvia’ also are grown in Belgium.
This assortment is best completed with a self-fertile variety that is not susceptible to frost or cracking.
The ideal variety should be productive, late ripening, low in vigour and have a good fruit quality (firm and large) and a good flavour.
It should be grafted on ‘Gisela 5’ rootstock, which is more productive and less susceptible to frost than ‘Colt’ or Prunus avium. In the first screening, 3 trees per variety grafted on ‘Gisela 5’ were planted, with ‘Kordia’ as the standard.
These varieties were assessed for at least 4 production years.
The best varieties from the first screening were planted at a larger scale (second screening), with the intention of finding solutions to their negative qualities.
From the varieties planted in the first screening since 1999, ‘Vanda’, ‘Skeena’, ‘Noire de Meched’, ‘Hertford’, ‘Samba’, ‘Satin’ and ‘Korvik’ have been planted in the second screening to date.
Other interesting varieties in the first screening were ‘Grace Star’ and ‘Rubin’. With the exception of ‘Skeena’ and ‘Rubin’, these varieties all ripen in the 3rd to 6th week of the harvest season.
Thus, there still is a need for varieties that ripen very early or very late.

VI International Cherry Symposium

J. Vercammen, T. Vanrykel

Prunus avium, production, fruit weight, picking time, crack and rot sensitivity and firmness

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2014.1020.38