Advancing picota sweet cherry selection through postharvest evaluation and X-ray computed tomography

The development of new Picota-type cherry cultivars aims to improve fruit quality and reduce endocarp size, while maintaining postharvest performance and preserving their hallmark stemless harvest. From 20 genotypes, four selections (‘L 12–3’, ‘L 14–16’, ‘L 14–17’, ‘L 35–72’) were retained based on low pedicel–fruit retention force (≤ 7.5 N) and fruit weight (≥ 9.0 g). ‘L 14–17’ showed the lowest detachment force. To evaluate postharvest behavior, cultivars were stored under modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) at 0 °C and 95 % RH for two months. All showed good performance: firmness remained stable (66.1–78.0 %), soluble solids content decreased but remained high (18.3–21.3 %), and titratable acidity, initially elevated (0.87–1.11 % malic acid), declined progressively, with ‘L 12–3’ and ‘L 35–72’ retaining the highest levels (0.79 %, 0.73 %). Physiological responses and fruit injury varied among genotypes. ‘L 12–3’ exhibited the most stable behavior, with low respiration (77.3 mg CO₂ kg⁻¹·h⁻¹), the lowest ethylene production (16.6 µg kg⁻¹·h⁻¹), and minimal damage (5.3 %) after two months. In contrast, ‘L 14–16’, ‘L 14–17’, and ‘L 35–72’ produced more ethylene (>70 µg kg⁻¹·h⁻¹) and showed higher injury rates (>15 %). A strong correlation (r > 0.89) was found between ethylene and fruit damage. X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT), applied for the first time in sweet cherry, enabled non-destructive assessment of internal traits relevant to breeding. Significant endocarp volume reductions were observed in ‘L 14–16’ (178.6 mm³) and ‘L 14–17’ (229.4 mm³) compared to ‘Ambrunés’ (346.7 mm³). Subpeduncular area (SPA) morphology differed among cultivars: ‘L 14–16’ and ‘L 14–17’ showed narrow, tapered structures, while ‘Ambrunés’ and ‘L 35–72’ had broader SPAs. • Four new Picota-type cherry cultivars met size and low PFRF for stemless harvest. • All selections showed stable postharvest quality under MAP for two months. • L 14–17 had the lowest PFRF, and L 12–3 showed the highest postharvest resilience. • X-ray CT was first applied in cherry to assess endocarp and subpeduncular traits. • L 14–16 and L 14–17 had smaller endocarps; SPA morphology varied among genotypes.