Variety traits

Fruit Cracking — Sour Cherry

Prunus cerasus L.

A physiological injury of sour cherry fruit skin caused by a sudden increase in turgor pressure due to excessive moisture absorption, resulting in a loss of marketability and the development of secondary fungal infections.

In the reference 46 varieties crop Sour cherry, where this is mentioned in the description.

Cracking in sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) is caused by excessive water accumulation in tissues during the ripening period, which triggers a critical increase in internal pressure that the epidermis cannot withstand. Unlike sweet cherry, this trait in sour cherries is assessed primarily through the lens of raw material suitability for processing and the evaluation of the overall sanitary condition of the harvest.

In scientific practice, the resistance of genotypes is determined using the immersion method, in which fruits are kept in distilled water, followed by recording cracking dynamics and calculating an injury index. Damages are classified as surface microcracks or deep flesh ruptures, which serve as entry points for pathogens, particularly the causal agents of moniliosis.

There are no unified standardized scales for evaluating this trait in sour cherry variety testing; therefore, the intensity of cracking is determined through comparative analysis of different cultivars. The primary control methods remain agrotechnical practices aimed at stabilizing soil water balance, such as sodding or mulching of the tree trunk circles.

General information about the subject — on the page Fruit cracking.

Sources8

Varieties of Sour cherry mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.