Assisted pollination by means of an electrostatic system in the production and quality of sweet cherries cv. 'Regina'

ABSTRACT Poor pollination limits the fruit set and productivity of self-incompatible cultivars of sweet cherry ( Prunus avium L.). This study sought to evaluate the improvement in fruit production and quality from assisted pollination using an electrostatic system in a self-incompatible sweet cherry cultivar ('Regina') grown under rain protective covering in a commercial orchard located in the central valley of Chile. For this purpose, two treatments were evaluated: (1) traditional pollination and (2) assisted pollination. The results showed that assisted pollination increased fruit set from 14% to 20% compared with traditional pollination, but not the yield. Regarding fruit quality, fruit from trees with assisted pollination presented a more advanced maturity stage, while postharvest, maturity indicators maintained minor differences between the two treatments and values very similar to those at harvest. Assisted pollination seems to be a good tool to improve fruit set in sweet cherry trees 'Regina', especially when pollen delivery is deficient, for example, with the use of plastic covers.