An overview of sweet cherry fruit cultivation in Turkey

Sweet cherry is a type of fruit that is high on demand in exports for table consumption. Turkey is a gene centre for sweet cherry fruit. Fruits are produced over an extended period because of the ecological richness and large cultivation area, which allows Turkey to remain as the leader of sweet cherry production in the world. The variety, ‘0900 Ziraat’, also known as the Turkish sweet cherry fruit, has the highest production volume. Mazzard and Mahaleb are the commonly used rootstocks for sweet cherry cultivation; and Mazzard is used more frequently than Mahaleb. Clonal rootstocks are used to maintain cultivation in new orchards. The present study provides a detailed information on the current status of sweet cherry fruit cultivation in Turkey as well as its cultivation practices and exports. It is targeted that modern irrigation techniques, good agricultural practices, and increased cultivation areas are established to maintain Turkey’s position as the leader in global sweet cherry production and exports.