Zoucheng City is a key production area for Chinese cherries, with a long history of cultivation that has led to the development of numerous local varieties. Since 1994, the city has seen rapid growth in cherry farming, particularly with the advancement of greenhouse technology. The application of ice-breaking dormancy techniques has significantly improved the early market availability of Chinese cherries, bringing higher economic returns. However, most protected-area cherry farms still rely on local red cherry varieties, which suffer from small fruit size, susceptibility to cracking, and challenges in artificial low-temperature cracking. These issues have limited consumer acceptance and hindered the industry's further expansion.
To address these problems, in 2002, we introduced a new large-fruited variety called Chaozaohong, developed by the Zaozhuang Institute of Fruit Science. This variety requires less chilling and shows excellent performance under greenhouse conditions, achieving great success. Below are the characteristics and cultivation methods of this variety.
1. Main Characteristics of the Variety
1.1 Tree Growth and Fruiting Traits: The tree is medium-sized, reaching about 3.1 meters in height, with a trunk height of approximately 60 cm and a crown diameter of around 3 meters. It has strong growth potential, forms a dense canopy quickly, and starts bearing fruit early. The bark is gray-green, and annual seedlings can develop a large number of flower buds, resulting in good flowering and fruiting the following year. This variety fruits earlier than average Chinese cherries—two to three years ahead—and produces larger fruits four to five years earlier. Perennial branches show strong continuous fruiting ability and stability. The leaves are oval, dark green, and two to three times larger than those of common Chinese cherries. The required chilling hours are only one-half to two-thirds of standard varieties, making it ideal for protected cultivation.
1.2 Economic Traits of the Fruits: The fruit size is 1.5 to 2 times larger than ordinary Chinese cherries, with an oblate-spherical shape and a single fruit weight of 4.2 grams. The pulp is tender and juicy, with a balanced sweetness and acidity, giving it superior quality. It matures in late April. However, the thin skin makes storage and transportation challenging, so it is best suited for urban outskirts or areas near industrial zones. The soluble solids content reaches 21%, indicating extremely high quality. Greenhouse-grown Chaozaohong outperforms other Chinese cherry varieties and is the preferred choice for greenhouse production.
1.3 Phenological Periods: In the local area, the trees sprout in late February, bloom in mid-March, and the fruits mature in late April. At this time, other cherry varieties have not yet reached maturity, allowing for a strong market presence and high profit margins, offering great development potential.
1.4 Adaptability: This super-early red cherry variety is suitable for cultivation in general cherry-growing regions. In northern areas, attention should be given to cold protection and increased organic fertilizer use. During the full fruit period, proper fruit thinning is essential to maintain tree vigor and prevent premature aging.
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