SWEET CHERRY BREEDING AT THE RESEARCH STATION IN BORDEAUX

To satisfy specific French requirements, the French Fruit Research Station of INRA in Bordeaux has undertaken a hybridization program and cooperates with foreign research teams. With the aim of widening the present range of varieties, the following objectives were set:

1. taste: good taste is essential in new varieties if cherry consumption is to be increased.
2. fruit size: new cultivars must have a minimum fruit weight of 10 g (i.e. 30–50% greater than 'Burlat') to help minimize harvest costs.
3. resistance to cracking: rainfall in May and June may induce fruit cracking, making the fruit unfit for marketing. Varieties with fruits less prone to cracking are therefore sought.
4. fruit firmness, and resistance to handling: firm flesh is necessary to provide resistance to handling and transport.
5. early and late maturity dates: widening the present range of maturity by 2 weeks appears to be a feasible objective.
6. self-fertility: more self-fertile varieties are needed, as they are particularly valuable to growers.
7. adaptation to mechanical harvesting: selection of varieties suitable for mechanical harvesting should be possible. Fruits without stems can then be marketed in 500 g or 1 kg trays.

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