Testing of sweet cherry cultivars in Belgium

The accelerated introduction of new high-quality sweet cherry cultivars in the 1980s and the early 1990s has given the Belgian cherry industry a brighter future. The four main cultivars grown in Belgium at present are 'Kordia', 'Lapins', 'Regina' and 'Sweetheart', but all of them have some disadvantages. 'Kordia' is susceptible to frost, 'Regina' has a tendency towards poor fruit set, 'Lapins' is susceptible to cracking, and 'Sweetheart' has a tendency to crack and rot and has a small harvest window. In addition to these 4 cultivars, 'Karina' is also grown in Belgium as pollinizer for 'Kordia' and 'Regina'. An ideal addition to this assortment would be a self-fertile cultivar that is not susceptible to frost or cracking. The ideal cultivar would be productive, early or late ripening, low in vigour and have a good fruit quality (firm, large, and dark). It should be grafted on 'Gisela 5' rootstock. Our research institute evaluates a high number of cherry cultivars every year. In the first screening, 3 trees per cultivar grafted on 'Gisela 5' are planted, with 'Kordia' as a standard. These cultivars are assessed for at least 4 production years. The best cultivars from the first screening are planted at a larger scale (second screening), with the intention of finding solutions to their negative qualities. From the cultivars planted in the first screening since 1999, 'Skeena', 'Hertford', 'Samba', 'Korvik', 'Grace Star', 'Poisdel' and 'Rubin' are currently being evaluated in the second screening. Other interesting cultivars in the first screening are 'Folfer', 'Areko', and 'Penny'. From these cultivars 'Samba', 'Korvik', and 'Grace Star' are already grown on a commercial scale in Belgium.