Agromorphological characterization of traditional sweet cherry cultivars of Castilla y León Community (Spain)

Fourteen traditional sweet cherry cultivars of Castilla y León Community (Spain) were characterized agromorphologically.
A total of 20 descriptors were used to describe flowers, leaves, fruits and the tree itself over 3 consecutive years (2008-2010). Some of the studied cultivars showed distinctive and interesting agronomical characters such as low susceptibility to fruit cracking and high soluble solids and total polyphenols levels.
This was the case with the late cultivar widely distributed through the Alagón river valley called “Moracha”. Its fruits were quite sweet (19.85 °Brix), resistant to cracking (3%) and rich in polyphenols (1.69 g of gallic acid 100 g^-1 dry weight). Another relevant cultivar to be included in future breeding programs was ‘Corazón Serrano’ that recorded the largest fruits (8.59 cm³). This work constitutes an important step in the characterization and conservation of the sweet cherry genetic resources present in the Castilla y León region.

VII International Cherry Symposium

R. Pérez-Sánchez, M.R. Morales-Corts, M.A. Gómez-Sánchez

Prunus avium, endangered cultivars, conservation, cherry descriptors, fruit parameters

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2017.1161.11