Domestication & Origins
Where were sweet (Prunus avium) and tart (P. cerasus) cherries independently domesticated over 2,500 years ago?
Are sweet cherries typically self-compatible or self-incompatible?
Self-incompatible, requiring cross-pollination
Which training system is designed for compatibility with mechanical hedging?
Kym Green Bush (KGB) or vertical axis systems
Which pest lays eggs inside ripening cherries with a serrated ovipositor?
Spotted Wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii)
What is the chilling requirement range for cherries?
800–1,200 chill hours
Which wild progenitors most directly contributed genetic material to cultivated tart cherries?
Wild Prunus fruticosa and wild P. avium
What reproductive advantage allows tart cherries (P. cerasus) to thrive in monovarietal blocks? (large plantings of 1 cultivar)
They are largely self-fertile
Why are high-density plantings (800–1500 trees/ha) considered a double-edged sword in orchard economics?
They allow early ROI but reduce orchard lifespan and increase establishment costs
Which fungal disease causes blossom blight, twig cankers, and fruit mummification?
Brown rot (Monilinia spp.)
Why is hydrocooling to 0–2°C within 1 hour postharvest critical?
It prevents respiratory spikes and delays senescence
What ancient Greek botanist first described cherry cultivation in ~300 BCE?
Theophrastus
How long after pollination must fertilization occur for successful fruit set?
Within 24–72 hours
How do south-facing slopes mitigate frost risk during bloom?
They provide air drainage, reducing cold air pooling in valley floors
What bacterium causes gummosis and necrotic lesions, entering through frost or pruning wounds?
Pseudomonas syringae (bacterial canker)
Which country is currently the largest global cherry exporter by volume?
Chile
Which adaptive trait, favored by early cultivators in the Caucasus, remains central in modern breeding for cold climates?
Cold-hardiness and late flowering
Name the three developmental stages of cherry fruit growth.
· Stage I: Cell division and rapid growth.
· Stage II: Pit hardening and slow growth.
· Stage III: Rapid fruit expansion, sugar accumulation, ripening.
Which rootstock is commonly used for dwarfing high-density sweet cherry systems?
Gisela 5
Which pest’s honeydew fosters black sooty mold, disrupting photosynthesis?
Black cherry aphid (Myzus cerasi)
-How does MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging) extend cherry shelf life?
By lowering O₂ and raising CO₂, slowing respiration, softening, and decay
Tart cherries (Prunus cerasus) are believed to have originated through natural hybridization events. Which species were involved?
Tart cherries (P. cerasus) arose from hybridization between P. avium (sweet cherry) and P. fruticosa (ground cherry).
Explain how hormonal signaling from developing seeds influences fruit mesocarp expansion.
Seed-derived hormones (auxins, gibberellins) stimulate cell expansion and pedicel elongation, coordinating fruit growth with fertilization
Compare the ecological trade-offs between vigorous rootstocks (e.g., Mazzard) and dwarfing rootstocks
Vigorous rootstocks extend orchard longevity but delay bearing and complicate mechanization
Dwarfing rootstocks accelerate fruiting and mechanization but reduce lifespan and require intensive management
Discuss integrated pest management (IPM) strategies for D. suzukii that reduce resistance risks.
Rotation of insecticides, sanitation of dropped fruit, early harvest, exclusion netting, and research into parasitoid wasps
Explain the trade-off between air and sea freight for cherry exports.
Air freight ensures firmness and rapid delivery but is costly; sea freight reduces cost but increases risk of rot, browning, and rejection