SWEET CHERRY CULTIVARS IN ESTONIA

Sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) is a popular crop in Estonia, grown mainly in home gardens and private farms.
Nine Estonian cultivars, ‘Anu’ (formerly Polli 6-2), ‘Arthur’ (formerly ‘Kristiina’), ‘Elle’, ‘Irma’ (formerly ‘Polli 10-8’), ‘Karmel’, ‘Meelika’, ‘Norri’ (formerly ‘Nord’), ‘Piret’, ‘Tontu’ and one cultivar (‘Gronkavaya’) from the Byelorussian breeding program, were evaluated from 1995 to 2004 for winter hardiness, tree productivity, ripening time, susceptibility to leaf spot (caused by Asterula beyerinkii Sacc.) and fruit characteristics at the Polli Research Centre of the Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. ‘Leningradskaja Chernaya’ was chosen as a control (standard) cultivar for comparison. ‘Anu’, ‘Elle’ and ‘Norri’ had the maximum level of mid-winter cold hardiness, while ‘Gronkavaya’ had the least.
The earliest ripening cultivars were ‘Elle’ and ‘Karmel’, while the latest ones were ‘Anu’ and ‘Irma’. ‘Anu’ and ‘Arthur’ had the highest average yields and ‘Gronkavaya’ had the lowest. ‘Gronkavaya’, ‘Arthur’ and ‘Irma’ had the highest average fruit weight.
The most attractive fruits were from ‘Gronkavaya’ and ‘Arthur’. The soluble solids concentration in fruits ranged from 14.6% in ‘Elle’ to 20.6% in ‘Norri’. The total sugar content ranged from 9.6% in ‘Elle’ to 12.7% in ‘Piret’. ‘Meelika’ and ‘Anu’ were relatively resistant to leaf spot.

V International Cherry Symposium

H. Jänes, L. Klaas, K. Kahu

Prunus avium L., winter hardiness, yield, ripening time, fruit characteristics

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.795.11