Cherries (Prunus spp.): The Fruit and Its Importance

Abstract

In some temperate regions of the world, sweet and tart cherries are second only to apples in their economic importance as tree fruits. Sweet cherries are primarily grown for fresh consumption, but tart cherries are almost entirely processed, that is, dried, canned, juice, or frozen. These differences profoundly affect production, harvest, handling, and marketing. Although cultivated since ancient times, both sweet and tart cherries have undergone little advanced breeding. Improvement has primarily been through selection, but there is the potential to deal with cultural, pest, disease, and quality problems limiting production and economics. There are significant opportunities to expand markets for fresh sweet cherries and for some tart cherry products.