Yielding and fruit quality of Lithuanian sweet cherry cultivars grown under the climatic and soil conditions of Warmia

Abstract

Abstract In 2006-2008, yielding was determined and biometric measurement as well as chemical analysis was carried out for five Lithuanian sweet cherry cultivars, ‘Agila’, ‘Seda’, ‘Vasare’, ‘Ventenue’, and ‘Jurgita’, and two cultivars commonly grown in Poland, ‘Ulster’ and ‘Burlat’. Trees grafted on Mazzard seedlings were planted in 2002 in the orchard of the Pozorty Experimental and Production Institute in the village of Łęgajny near Olsztyn. The highest mean yield for the tested cultivars was obtained in 2008, while the lowest was in 2007, when the highest ground frosts were recorded during the cherry blossoming period. During the three years of research, the highest mean yield for the Lithuanian sweet cherry cultivars was established for the ‘Vasare’ cultivar, which together with the ‘Burlat’ cultivar made a homogenous group of the highest values. The mean fruit weight of the Lithuanian cultivars was lower than in the case of ‘Burlat’ and ‘Ulster’, while the largest fruit amongst the Lithuanian cultivars were recorded for ‘Jurgita’ and ‘Agila’. The chemical composition analysis of fruit revealed significant differences both between the cultivars and the years of the research. The fruits of the studied cultivars accumulated the lowest amounts of total saccharides and vitamin C in the coolest year under analysis, 2007. The highest mean of total saccharide content was recorded for fruit of the ‘Vasare’ and ‘Seda’ cultivars. Fruit of the ‘Agila’ cultivar accumulated the highest amounts of organic acids and vitamin C.