Reaction of sweet cherry cultivars and hybrids to low winter temperatures and drought

The response of some introduced sweet cherry cultivars and hybrids to abiotic stressors was studied. Resistance to low winter temperatures was monitored in laboratory conditions (2020-2021), and their sensitivity to drought in natural conditions (2018-2019). From the three levels of controlled freezing (-15ºС; -20ºС; -25ºС) it was found that the cultivars Bigalise pozna, Bigalise, and the hybrids 8-102 and № 5752 had increased cold hardiness of the regenerative organs. Van compact and Techlovan had proved to be the most sensitive at these levels of freezing. The drought resistance was determined by visual symptoms of moisture deficiency and midday leaf water potential (Ψ midday) of the trees. Under the conditions of the experiment, all the studied cultivars experience water stress, which was from “moderate” to “very high”. The Bigalise and Techlovan cultivars stand out with increased drought resistance in both years of study. The visual symptoms of moisture deficiency did not fully correspond to the established levels of water stress. The twisting of the leaves is a feature aimed at shading part of the leaves and reducing overheating.