Genetic variation of selected Siah Mashhad sweet cherry genotypes grown under Mashhad environmental conditions in Iran

Ganji Moghaddam, E., Ahmadi Moghaddam, H., and Piri, S. 2013. Genetic variation of selected Siah Mashhad sweet cherry genotypes grown under Mashhad environmental conditions in Iran. Crop Breeding Journal 3(1): 45-51. This study was conducted with the main purpose of investigating genetic variation among 13 selected sweet cherry (Prunus avium cv. Siah Mashhad) genotypes, i.e., the most important Iranian sweet cherry cultivars based on their pomological, morphological, and phonological characteristics. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications at Khorasan-e-Razavi Agriculture and Natural Resource Research Center, Mashhad-Iran, during 2007-2009. Wide variation in pomological (fruit weight, stone weight, soluble solids content, pH, total acid content), morphological (crown volume, trunk diameter, current season growth), and phonological (first bloom, full bloom) characteristics (P≤0.01) was observed. Genotype SH7 had the highest fruit weight (9.27 g), while SH1 had the lowest fruit and stone weights (4.51 g, 0.38 g, respectively). Crown volume ranged between 16.53 m (SH23) and 32.67 m (SH13) in Siah Mashhad sweet cherry genotypes. Current season vegetative growth ranged between 45.66 and 58.00 cm. Results also showed that genotypes SH21 and SH20 had the lowest and highest trunk diameter (93.65 mm and 161.99 mm, respectively). Our results indicate there is wide variation in flowering, growth, and fruit characteristics of Siah Mashhad sweet cherry genotypes.