Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium) VALERY CHKALOV

Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium) 'Valery Chkalov'

An early variety with large, dark red fruits and high yield.

'Valery Chkalov' (Валерий Чкалов) is a proven sweet cherry variety that originated from a joint Russian-Ukrainian project. It is valued mainly for its early ripening, high yield, and large, attractive fruits with a dessert flavour. Its main disadvantage is a high susceptibility to fungal diseases, which requires consistent protection.

Main advantages of the variety:

• High yield (average 62 kg per tree).
• Large fruits (6 – 8 g).
• Early ripening (first decade of June).
• Dessert flavour.

Origin and Registration

• Country of origin: Russia / Ukraine
• Breeders: S. V. Zhukov, M. T. Oratovsky
• Institution: Joint project of the All-Russian Research Institute of Genetics and Breeding and the Ukrainian Research Institute of Irrigated Horticulture
• Origin: Seedling from open pollination of the ‘Kavkazskaya Rozovaya’ variety
• Registration: Included in the State Register in 1974.

Variety Characteristics

Tree

• Growth: Vigorous, grows to a height of 5 – 6 m.
• Crown: Broadly pyramidal, spreading, medium density.
• Pollination: It is cross-pollinated.

Fruit

• Size and weight: Large, with a weight of 6 – 8 g.
• Shape and colour: Broadly heart-shaped, dark red to almost black-red.
• Flesh: Dark red with pink veins, semi-firm, juicy.
• Flavour: Dessert-like.
• Stone: Large (0.37 g), partially separable from the flesh.
• Use: Versatile (fresh consumption, processing).

Resistance and Requirements

• Frost resistance: Good, but flower buds can be damaged by severe frosts (below -23 °C).
• Disease resistance: Susceptible to shot hole disease and moniliosis.

Cultivation Recommendations

• Due to its high susceptibility to fungal diseases, regular preventive protection is essential.
• To ensure a harvest, it is necessary to plant another cherry variety nearby as a pollinator.
• Planting in locations protected from late spring frosts is recommended.

Harvest and Storage

• Harvest time: Early (first decade of June).
• Yield: High, averaging 62 kg per tree.
• Entry into bearing: 5th year after planting.