Cherry breeding – for better quality & new markets

W. David Lane, Ph.D.Senior Research Scientist Plant BiotechnologyPacific Agri-Food Research CentreSummerland, BC Canada VOH 1ZO

Agronomic v’s horticultural

• Agronomic• Commodity• Yield• Disease resistance• Efficiency• Type• Quality

• Horticultural• Consumer product• Brand• Distinct / recognizable• High quality• Special / expensive

Horticultural examples

Breeder: scientist + industry

• Develop funding proposal + industry• Develop breeding goals + industry• Plant breeding biology• Small commercial testing + industry• Variety development + industry• Coordination of test results• Interaction with marketers

Evaluation and characterization

• Breeding plots• 1 or a few trees each• many selections / cvs• Visitor’s feedback• Older trees• Poor tree culture• 1 location

• Grower’s testing• Many trees• Good training• Packing / selling• Many locations• Discussion > ranking

Cherry breeding - perspective

• Positive• Little history > fast prog.• Steep improvement curve• No seed multiplication• More progress possible

– Growth habit– Firmness– Cracking– Size– Maturity time

• Negative• Difficult to hybridize• Narrow genetic base• Importing parent var.• Long testing period• # tons to market

Cherry breeding - perspective

• Advances so far - biology

• Self-fertility > yield• Crack resistance > yield• Large size > quality• Firmness / post harvest > quality• Late maturity > yield + quality• Growth habit• Fruit color

Cherry breeding - progress

Cherry breeding - perspective

• Result for growers• Luxury item > high price• Brand recognition• Market separation• Enables air freight• Consistent crop + quality• Earlier production• Higher density• Uses modern infrastructure and technology

Cherry breeding - operations

• Continuity• Summerland / government – 50 years• Demand for cultivars not linear• Response to new opportunities slow

• Therefore• Inventory of new selections cultivars +• Complementary work on management; diversification

with work on other related crops ??

Cherry breeding - operations

• Establishing the program

• Variety collection / testing• Germplasm collection / testing

– Virus diseases• Generating hybrids

– open pollinated seed or ‘crosses’ from orchards

– seed or crosses from collaborators

Cherry breeding - operations

• Time course of breeding• Clear & achievable objectives•• Hybridization 1st year• Greenhouse + nursery 3rd year• 1st fruiting 7th year• 1st fruit in grower test 10th year• Propagation small scale 11th year• Propagation large scale 13th year

Cherry breeding - objectives

• Maturity time– Early: embryo rescue; smaller size and yield– Later: more days of growth = yield + large size + sugar

• Self-fertility– Consistent crop; higher yield / hectare– Some risk of over set > thinning

• Crack resistance– Timing of rains

• Fruit size– 10 grams

• Firmness– Post harvest quality– Bruising– ‘cling stone’

Cherry breeding - objectives

• Taste– Sweet; not acid; balance; 19 Brix

• Tree growth habit– Spreading; upright

• Skin color– Pink > black

• Stem– Stemless; thickness; length

• Fruit Shape– Round; pointed