Variety traits

Self-fertility in sweet cherry

Prunus avium (L.) L.

The ability of sweet cherry cultivars to set fruit when pollinated with their own pollen. The trait is evaluated based on the percentage of fruit set and the presence of specific S-gene alleles.

In the reference 510 varieties crop Sweet cherry, where this is mentioned in the description.

The evaluation of sweet cherry self-fertility is based on comparing the fruit set percentage from self-pollination with the results of open pollination, as well as on the molecular genetic identification of self-incompatibility S-gene alleles (from S1 to S16). The primary quantitative indicator is the percentage of fruit set, defined as the ratio of developed fruits to the number of pollinated flowers.

Cultivars are classified as highly self-fertile if their fruit set under self-pollination exceeds 50% of the level observed under open pollination. An example of a high index is the 'Stella' cultivar with a fruit set of approximately 93.9%. Partially self-fertile cultivars show results around 10%, while the vast majority of classic cultivars are self-sterile and practically do not form fruit without the presence of pollinators.

The self-fertility trait determines orchard design strategy, as self-sterile cultivars require the selection of genetically compatible pollinators with overlapping bloom periods. The use of self-fertile genotypes ensures crop stability under adverse weather conditions that limit pollinator insect activity, although cross-pollination further enhances the qualitative and quantitative parameters of fruit production.

General information about the subject — on the page Self-fertility.

Sources8

Varieties of Sweet 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.