Degree of self-fertility in sweet cherry hybrids obtained by open pollination of Stella cultivar

Abstract

Establishment of self-fertile sweet cherry cultivars marked a significant advance in the last two decades.

The breeding programme of the Fruit-Growing Institute – Plovdiv started in 1987, one of its major aims being the establishment of self-fertile sweet cherry cultivars.

During the period 1988-1990, 221 hybrids from open pollination of Stella cultivar were established. 24 of them proved to be self-fertile to a different degree. The present study covered the period 2002-2004. Most of the 19 investigated hybrids belonged to the category of
the partially self-fertile. 5-12% of the fruits obtained resulted from self-pollination. The number of hybrids which could be considered as self-fertile (like Stella cultivar) was half of the number of the partially self-fertile. The hybrids of low level of self-fertility were about 10% of the studied ones and they did not have practical importance.