SUSCEPTIBILITY TO CRACKING OF THIRTY SWEET CHERRY CULTIVARS

Nowadays, Apulia (Southern Italy) is the most important sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) producer in Italy.
New cultivars are introduced by growers to complement those traditionally grown, often without ascertaining their adaptability to local environmental conditions.
Among disregarded characteristics is the susceptibility to rain-induced fruit cracking.
The problem is worthy of consideration even if rainfall in Apulia during cherry ripening (May 15–June 20) is not as heavy and frequent as in other world cherry growing districts.
The cracking index for 30 cultivars has been evaluated over three years according to Verner’s (1957) method, as modified by Christensen (1972). The study confirmed that the susceptibility to cracking is a characteristic linked to genotype.
No variety was totally resistant, but some of the little known varieties showed an interesting level of resistance.
A susceptibility scale is proposed. (This paper was presented at the 4th International Cherry Symposium held 24–29 June 2001 in the USA).

V International Cherry Symposium

P. Greco, M. Palasciano, R. Mariani, A. Pacifico, A. Godini

Prunus avium, rain, fruit splitting, cracking index

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2008.795.56