The experiment was conducted in the period 2020–2021 on a plantation in Snopków (near Lublin), 51.305653 N, 22.502672 E, in Extra-Alpine Central Europe, on fawn soils from loess deposits. This is essential for planning treatments such as irrigation and others to optimise growth under stress conditions. In addition, we have defined a way of increasing the size of Cornelian cherry fruit and shoots that has not yet been described in the literature available to us. The objective of this experiment was to assess the growth and yield of 11 Polish and Ukrainian Cornelian cherry cultivars (with established genotypic features) in the conditions of Central Europe, and determine the term of particular phenological stages, which will facilitate precise recommendations regarding the dates of basic agrotechnical and possibly protective treatments. These processes affect the decisions regarding farming particular cultivars, including conducting maintenance and potential protective measures. Moreover, little information is available on important phenological stages, namely, blooming, onset of fruiting, and fruit ripening. Before planting, the direction of production should be determined, and several cultivars with expected characteristics should be selected. The selection of the appropriate cultivar while establishing a Cornelian cherry plantation is the key element determining the cultivation success. Establishing its plantations is limited by the scarcity of information on the strength and character of the growth and fruiting of particular cultivars. Ĭornelian cherry is still a weakly known fruit crop. Like for each fruit plant, the quality and quantity of harvests are improved by additional organic or mineral fertilization. The harvest yield of the fruit plants and the onset of the fruiting period are also dependent on other factors: the age, genetic characteristics, and climatic conditions in a given vegetative season. The rootstocks that are used most frequently for Cornelian cherry cultivars are selected seedlings of the species. The rootstock affects the strength and character of the growth and quality of inflorescences, fruit, as well as its usefulness for storage and processing. Cornelian cherry cultivars grown on the commercial scale are planted in a rootstock appropriately selected for the cultivation conditions. Fully ripe Cornelian cherry fruits are soft, so harvesting and transporting them should be well organised. Although Cornelian cherry fruits have a different purpose than, for example, apples, they should not be exposed to vibration during transport, as this would increase bruising and cause spoilage as a result of rotting fruit. The production of oil, contained in the seed, is the most efficient for fruit with a large stone. Such products are best made of fruit with a high share of flesh in total fruit mass. The fruit grows along a double sigmoid, and its first intensive growth occurs following the extinction of intensive shoot growth.įruit harvested in the stage of consumption maturity that is already declining is used in the production of juices, soft drinks, purées, jams, and pestils. Most cultivars have an elongated fruit shape, and the shape factor decreases with their growth and ripening. Cornelian cherries cultivated under ecological conditions show satisfactory fruit size and generally a small percentage of stone. The start of particular phenophases depends on the temperature and precipitation. ![]() ![]() The first phenological stage of Cornelian cherry is the appearance of inflorescences before the development of leaves. All the analysed cultivars are suitable commodity crops, but they should be accurately selected depending on the direction of production. The effect of climatic conditions on the onset date of particular phenological stages was also assessed. The objective of this experiment was the evaluation of approximately a dozen cultivars in terms of growth and fruit yield under the conditions of Central Europe. However, the fruit from natural sites is of lower quality than the cultivars, as their seedlings differ in terms of fruit ripening. ![]() Due to the rarity of its cultivation, Cornelian cherry is harvested from natural sites of occurrence. Fruit of Cornelian cherry can be used fresh or processed, and cultivation practices are developing in this direction.
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