Sweet Aryana® (PA1UNIBO cv.) is proving to be a standout option for growers in Chile. This cherry variety marketed by Viveros El Tambo is an early harvest and has gained recognition for its quality and productivity, making it an attractive option for growers who want to innovate with earlier varieties in different regions of Chile.
It is essential to highlight that Sweet Aryana® is a variety selected in Bologna, Italy, under colder climatic conditions than the central zone of Chile. Despite this difference, it has proven to adapt favorably in regions such as V, RM, VI, and certain areas of the VII region, always considering the specific cold and heat requirements for its optimal development.
This is highlighted by Andrés Valdivieso, commercial manager of ANA Chile®, who said: “In general, in Chile the variety has shown to have similar cold requirements to Santina, but to achieve its early harvest potential, it also requires springs with sufficient heat. The current season has been very challenging in this regard, extremely erratic for early varieties, because little cold accumulated in the initial months of winter and the spring has been cold and rainy.”
ANA Chile®, as the exclusive controller of the variety in Chile, plays a fundamental role in the technical validation of Sweet Aryana®. Through an extensive evaluation process, the company's technical cherry team, led by agricultural engineer Lorena Pinto, collaborates with licensed nurseries, such as Viveros El Tambo, to generate the technological package that allows the correct adaptation and management of the variety in our conditions.
“This work begins with the establishment of the Evaluation Centers in licensed nurseries, and also through evaluations by producers who test the varieties in their own fields. Furthermore, during the season ANA Chile® holds several field days, exhibitions and technical talks open to companies, which guide producers and provide them with valuable information on management associated with the variety, which is also available on our website,” said Valdivieso.
In addition, ANA Chile® offers technical support and educational events, such as fruit exhibitions, field days and talks with renowned advisors, to inform producers about the best practices associated with Sweet Aryana®.
Regarding the common challenges in validating the variety under different conditions, Valdivieso highlights some key aspects of the work carried out by the ANA Chile® technical unit: “The performance of Sweet Aryana® in difficult weather seasons such as the current one gives us very valuable information to validate the variety. The main challenges in technical validation have to do, among others, with aspects such as its expression of vegetative and productive habit when grafted onto different rootstocks; its performance in the absence of winter cold and in the face of not very warm springs; the specific technical handling of pruning and thinning to achieve an optimal load that allows obtaining fruit of the best possible quality; and the optimal time to harvest the variety, considering the °Brix/acidity ratio of the fruit for shipment by plane or ship,” concluded the commercial manager.
ANA Chile® addresses these challenges by visiting producers and exporters during the season, providing technical guidance and, recently, developing a very brief management sheet aimed at Sweet Aryana®, Frisco and Nimba producers.
Marcia Barraza, commercial manager of Viveros El Tambo, highlights the variety as early, very productive, with a good caliber of 30-32, but sensitive to cracking. She recommends careful management, especially in climates prone to this phenomenon.
“It needs to be treated well, because it is very susceptible to splitting, especially in this climate. In my opinion, Sweet Aryana® is more productive than a Royal Dawn. It is earlier. So I think that the issue is the management that one gives to the variety, which is why ANA’s support is extremely fundamental in the validation and evaluation of this and other varieties,” emphasized Barraza.
It is important to emphasize that the recommendations on the cultivation and management of Sweet Aryana® come from ANA Chile®, not from the nursery, and are based on the observations made by its technical team and the external advisors who support these developments. This guarantees the application of the best practices supported by the licensing entity.
The presence of Sweet Aryana® at Viveros El Tambo offers producers a valuable opportunity to incorporate this variety into their plantations and take advantage of its benefits.
Check out the technical sheet for this strain below:
