COST Action AG1104‘’Sustainable Production of High Quality Cherries for the European Market’’

WG1 Meeting, Palermo, Italy21.-23. October 2012.

A short history of Croatian native sweet cherry varieties ?

Aleš Vokurka1, Zorica Jurković2, Maro Njavro1,Boris Duralija1, Ivan Pejić1

1 University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagreb, Croatia2 Agricultural Institute Osijek, Osijek, Croatia

Cherry production in Croatia:5.000 - 8.000 tona [2006.-2010.]

� Production of sweet cherry in Croatia has been without high economic significance for many years, in spite of high prices(even 20 Eur/kg) (Vjesnik, 6.5.2005.).

� Production is fragmented on small plots and gardens

� Recently, there is grow in interest for sweet cherry production due to availability of contemporary self-compatible varieties, technologies and rootstocks.

150 kn = approx. 20 EURfor South-African sweet cherries in a retail shop

Recent literature states seven varieties as ‘’native varieties’’

Their production is concentrated in several production areas:

Liburnia (north Adriatic): 'Lovranska', 'Creska'Dalmatia (south Adriatic): 'Stonska', 'Tugarka', 'Gomilička'Pannonia (continental. pt.): 'Okićka', 'Kutjevačka‘

'Creska'

'Lovranska'

‘Okićka'

‘Kutjevačka'

‘Gomilička'

‘Stonska'

‘Tugarka'

The goal of this presentation is to give:

� an overview of native sweet cherry varieties in Croatia

� a history of varieties grown in Croatia

� a hypothesis on the possible identity of these varieties

� direction for further research [molecular / morphological]

Starting points about native varieties:

� All varieties have names according to toponyms: geographical names of villages, towns or mountains.

� Their origin is not known

� Their overall identity is a kind of mistery

� Their S-allele constitution is not known

� There is probability of synonymity

� The common characteristic for these varieties: heart-like fruit shape, firm flesh texture, medium to late ripening, transportability, long storage, high weight of the fruits (9-10 g. in extensive production).

� Rich aroma, high sugar content, excellent balance between sugar / acids.

= Similar fruit morphologycv. ‘Creska’ (north Adriatic)

cv. ‘Kutjevačka’ (continental part) cv. ‘Tugarka’ (south Adriatic)

‘Lovranska’� Medium vigor in Gisela-6

� Fruits are of medium weight, firm texture, god transportability, medium to late ripening, pleasant aroma.

cv. ‘Lovranska’ (north Adriatic)

cv. ‘Stonska’ (south Adriatic)

‘Stonska’� Fruit is big, rounded to heart-shaped, very firm

texture, good transportability, stem is very long.

� Low acidity, high content of sugar.

� Ripening: in between ‘Gomiličke’ and ‘Tugarke’.

‘Gomilička’� Very early ripening (beginning of May)

� Very juicy, soft flesh, the weight of fruit ismedium, very sweet

� Susceptible to transportation

‘Okićka’� Very late-ripening variety

� Fruit is very firm with good transportability,rounded.

� Weight of fruit is small to medium.

� Very sweet, has good and pleasant aroma.

cv. ‘Gomilička’ (south Adriatic)

cv. ‘Okićka’ (continental pt.)

The drawbacks:

� Measurements only in situ: there is no colection orchard

� Varying conditions in orchards: different rootstocks, technology, climate, soil

� Limited availability of the full range of reliabletrue-to-type plant material for DNA analyses

cv. ‘Okićka’ (continental pt.) cv. ‘Creska’ (north Adriatic)

But let’s go back to the names of ‘native’varieties:

� They are all named after certain geographical toponym from the area where grown

� The names of ‘Tugarka’, ‘Creska’, ‘Lovranska’ etc. does not exist in old books

K.J. Veselić:Fruit growing,

1848.Does not mention any sweet cherry variety, but classify them according to early-ripening, late-ripening, firm-texture etc.

Antun Trumer:Fruit growing,

1881.Frühe Maiherzkirsche, Büttners

schwarze Herzkirsche, Fromm’s, Krügers, Winklers, Tilgeners,

Elton, Adams, Jahns Durchsichtige, Flamentiner, etc.

Few of these varieties are stated in Tobutt et al. (2004.)

Fran Kuralt:Fruit growing for people,

1884.Frühe Maiherzkirsche, Büttnersschwarze Herzkirsche, Fromm’s, Krügers, Winklers, Tilgeners, Elton, Adams, Jahns Durchsichtige, Flamentiner, etc.

Fran Kuralt: Fruit growing,

1889.Frühe Maiherzkirsche, Büttners schwarze Herzkirsche, Fromm’s schwarze Herzkirsche, Krügers, Winklers schwarze Knorpelkirsche, Tilgeners rothe Herzkirsche, Elton, Adams Herzkirsche, Jahns Durchsichtige, Flementiner, etc.

Fran Kuralt: Fruit growing,

1889.Same varieties like the issue of 1889.

Ivan pl. Radić: Fruit growing,

1909.Hedelfingen, Adler’s schwarze

Herzkirsche, Elton’s Herzkirsche, Esperens, other varieties in type of Knorpelkirsche and Herzkirsche, etc.

Stanko Ožanić et al: Fruit growing,

1903.Hedelfingen, Hortensia, Elton’s

Where are the names of native varietiesin old literature!?

Agricultural lexicon

1985.Tugarka, Stonska, Gomilička,Vipavka, Ohridska

I. Miljković: Contemporary Fruit Growing

1991.Tugarka, Ohridska, Vipavka, Gomilička

M. Radunić et al.: Cherries

2007.Tugarka, Stonska, Gomilička

Where are the names of ‘old’ varietiesin recent literature!?

In the same time, recent literature does not mention any of the ‘old’ varieties listed in the ‘old’ literature.

Where is the ‘continuity of variety names’ being lost!?

Probably some of ‘native’ varieties are, in fact,

synonyms of the old varieties as a consequence

of unofficial introduction in recent history (100 – 150 years ago)!?

Maybe some of ‘native’ varieties are synonyms among themselves!?

A drawback of traditional propagation: the loss of genuine variety name due to

traditional way of propagation without official control (certifications).

The varieties got its name after the geographic place (toponym) from where the spreading (propagation) was most intensive.

SSR analyses:� Traditional polyacrylamide method

� Genetic analyzer ABI 3130

Synonymity detected:� Some of ‘native’ varieties are synonyms in 10 SSR loci: � Some of Croatian ‘native’ varieties are synonyms to some of

‘native’ varieties from the region (Slovenia to Macedonia)

Synonymity confirmed:� Those ‘native’ varieties that are synonyms in 10 SSRs have also

the same S-allele constitution

Synonyms are: four varieties[they also have similar morphology], but also few other local varieties (genotypes) from ex.Yugoslavia (not stated below).

Sorta S-alellesIncomp.

group

Creska S3 S12 XXII

Ferrovia S3 S12 XXII

Gomilička S2 S3 IV

Kutjevačka S3 S12 XXII

Lovranska S3 S12 XXII

Lovranska S3 S12 XXII

Ohridska S3 S12 XXII

Okićka S3 S6 VI

Stonska S6 S9 X

Tugarka S3 S12 XXII

Tugarka S3 S12 XXII

Conclusions and future work:

� Looking for synonyms can be reduced within the group of the varieties with the same S-allele constitution [ref. Tobutt et al. (2004.), Iezzoni et al. (2005.)

� establishment of European collaborative network with standardized protocols and refferal allele sizes (samples) [there were attempts to this goal: Clarke & Tobutt, 2007.]

� establishing the database similar to those in Vitis research group [Maul et al., 2012.]