Dynamics of the average fruit weight and the ratio of stone to pulp in the cherry fruit grown in the south of the steppe zone of Ukraine

The main indicator that determines the competitiveness of cherry fruits is the average weight of the fruit and the ratio of stone to pulp, so the study of cherry fruits of different cultivars according to these qualitative indicators is relevant. The popularity of cherries among consumers is due to the high taste qualities of fruits with an attractive appearance, as well as the early ripening period. The purpose of the research was to study the average fruit weight and stone weight of 33 cherry cultivars of three ripening periods, both introduced varieties and those included in the State Register of plant cultivars suitable for distribution in Ukraine, and to select varieties and variety samples that have scientific and practical value for studied parameters. The determination of the average weight of the fruit, the weight of the stone and their ratio of the stone to the pulp in cherry fruits was carried out in the period of consumer ripeness. Selection and preparation of samples for analysis was carried out according to DSTU ISO 874-2002. The average weight of the fruit in cherry fruits grown in the conditions of the Southern Steppe zone of Ukraine was 8.41 grams, the average stone weight was 0.56 grams. The fruits of the late ripening cherry group had the optimal fruit mass (7.27–12.18 g). The varieties ‘Svit Erliz’ and ‘Rubinova Rannia’ turned out to be the most stable with the minimum coefficients of variation according to the studied parameters in terms of the early maturing cultivars in terms of fruit weight and stone weight. Among the group of medium-ripening varieties, the most stable fruit and stone mass were the fruits of the cultivars ‘Temp’ and ‘Vinka’. In the group of cultivars with a late ripening period, the smallest variability of fruit mass and stone content was recorded in the cultivar ‘Regina’. It was established that the weather conditions of the research years had a dominant influence on the formation of fruit mass in all groups of cultivars. Varietal features had a dominant influence on the weight of the bone. The results of the research will be interesting for industrial and amateur horticulture in Ukraine