SWEET CHERRY (Prunus avium L.)

The work on breeding sweet cherries at the Fruit Research Institute started in 1960. Developing self-fertile sweet cherry cultivars with large and attractive fruits (fruit weight exceeding 10 g, different skin color), firm flesh, high soluble solids content, favorable sugar and acid ratio and resistant to cracking. Pursued properties in newly developed sweet cherry genotypes are as follows: early, heavy and regular cropping, early or late ripening time compared to the currently existing cultivars, moderate vigor and compact habitus. The stone should also be small with high fruit ratio, short to long stalk suitable for mechanized harvesting and industrial processing, resistant to economically most serious pests and diseases and should exhibit hardiness to abiotic factors.