'ROSALINA' - A NEW BICOLOR CHERRY CULTIVAR

The specific goal of the selection program of the Fruit Growing Institute in Bulgaria is creation of bicolor cherry cultivars. The first successful results in that direction are ‘Rosita’ and ‘Rosalina’ cultivars, officially recognized in 2009. ‘Rosalina’ cultivar is established by selection of hybrids, obtained as a result of open pollination of ‘Van’ cultivar. The fruits ripe one week before Van`s fruits and after that they do not drop off and if there is lack of rain they dray up in the tree and thus can be used as dried fruits. They are with kidney-like shape, bi-colored, variegated, with pale yellow basic color and pale red over it, covering more that 50% of the surface. The mesocarp is very consistent, pale yellow with uncolored juice and strong acidity. The pit is very little, with relative part only 3.56%. Grown under non-irrigated conditions the fruits of ‘Rosalina’ cultivar demonstrate average mass value 8.5 g, such as the fruits of ‘Van’ cultivar. Under irrigated conditions, these values are higher. The new cultivar ‘Rosalina’ possesses high and regular productivity and the fruits are resistant to cracking.