Fruit Characteristics of Autochthonous Sweet Cherry Cultivars (Prunus avium L.) from the Banjaluka Region

Banjaluka region is characterized by a very rich diversity of old and autochthonous sweet cherry cultivars, which represent a very important genetic potential for future breeding programs. Autochthonous sweet cherry cultivars are spontaneously propagated and used in very few areas for production and consumption in the fresh condition. A very small percentage of autochthonous cultivars are used in local markets or in some forms of processing. The main reason for this is the small number of individual trees whose fruits are used for own household and their poor management. In order to popularize the production and sale of autochthonous sweet cherry cultivars, during this research was perform the basic pomological measurements of the five most common autochthonous sweet cherry cultivars in the Banjaluka region (Ašlamka, Banjalučka crnica, Bjelica-Biljur, Cipov and Crveni hrušt). Pomological (the weight and dimensions of the fruit, weight and dimensions of the pit, dimension of the stalk and the firmness of the fruit flesh) and chemical (total soluble solids content of the fruit) fruit characteristics were determined. Results showed differences in investigated parameters between the cultivars.