The beginnings of sweet cherry breeding in Dobele and the cherry variety 'Jānis'
Cherry season has begun! Sweet cherry breeding was started in the 1950s by Pēteris Upītis in Dobele. The goal of his work was to obtain winter-hardy and productive varieties.
Sweet cherry breeding was started in the early 1990s in Dobele by Silvija Ruisa at the LVAI ( Horticulture Institute ), evaluating P. Upītis's breeding material. The best P. Upītis sweet cherries are winter-hardy in Zemgale, have good yield and taste. As a result of the evaluation, the variety 'Aija' was registered in 1999, and the varieties 'Indra' and 'Jānis' in 2002, which are recommended for cultivation in Latvia. Sweet cherry breeding continues in Latvia to create varieties suitable for the climate with high fruit quality. Sweet cherries grow best in Zemgale (around Dobele) and Kurzeme (around Tukums, Talsi and Kuldīga).
Briefly about the cherry variety 'Jānis' , it was registered in Latvia in the name of the Dobele DSIS (Horticultural Institute) in 2002. The variety was isolated from the sweet cherry selection material of P. Upītis by S. Ruisa. The tree growth is strong, its crown is pyramidal, with medium-thick branching. The variety is productive and its resistance to fungal diseases is good. The fruits are heart-shaped, soft, their average weight is 3.5 - 4.5 g. In the Dobele area, the variety ripens early, usually around Midsummer, or in the middle of the third decade of June.