Fruit characteristics of sweet cherry cultivars bred in the Czech Republic

Sweet cherry cultivars bred at the Research and breeding station Holovousy Ltd. (Czech Republic) were evaluated for their fruit characteristics. Fruit firmness (index 1-100), sugar content (°Brix), fruit size (width in mm) and fruit weight (g) of sweet cherry cultivars were recorded in the years 2017 and 2018 in experimental plantings at Holovousy. The highest firmness was recorded for cultivar ‘Tamara’ in 2017 (82.7). The highest sugar content was recorded in 2017 for the variety ‘Vanda’ (23.5 °Brix). The largest fruits were recorded in 2017 for cultivar ‘Tamara’ (29.7 mm). The highest fruit weight was recorded for ‘Horka’ in 2017 (12.9 g). Fruits were characterized by lower firmness (60.0) in 2018 than in 2017 (63.9). Fruit were significantly sweeter (19.5 °Brix) in year 2017 than in year 2018 (16.5 °Brix). Size of the fruit was higher in the year 2017 – 27.0 mm than in the year 2018 – 26.3 mm. Higher fruit weight was recorded in the year 2017 (average 10.7 g) than in the year 2018 (average 9.0 g). Year-on-year differences can be explained by unusually warm and dry weather in 2018 and by the frost damage during tree flowering in 2017.