Perfect Cherries From Tree to Table

Researchers in Summerland, British Columbia, are helping cherry growers take advantage of new markets by developing new techniques for harvesting, processing, and shipping cherries overseas, as well as a new cherry variety -- the Staccato. Take a look at our video to learn more.
For a transcript of this video, please see our website: www.agr.gc.ca/eng/?id=14813081....
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Full Video Transcript:
Narrator: Cherries are an important crop for Canada. And new markets for our cherries are opening up all around the world. Dr. Kelly Ross and her colleagues at the Summerland Research Centre in Summerland, British Columbia, are helping growers to take advantage of these new markets by developing new techniques for harvesting, processing, and shipping cherries overseas.
Dr. Kelly Ross: Sweet cherry production is primarily in the Okanagan region of BC and it's very important to the economy of this region. This work really seeks to understand how different orchard management practices will impact the quality of the sweet cherries at harvest, and to address quality retention of these cherries upon longer term storage so the overseas export market can be provided with a high quality, healthy cherry.
Narrator: High quality cherries start in the orchard. The application of fertilizer, the irrigation strategy, the position of the canopy, the spacing of the trees, and the pruning practices can all have an effect on the quality of the cherry at harvest. And how they're harvested and packaged will impact how their quality is maintained during the shipping process.
Dr. Kelly Ross: They're still undergoing biochemical and metabolic changes after they're harvested, so the key line of defense is to reduce the temperature of the cherry.
Narrator: Cherries are usually harvested early in the morning when temperatures are cool. The cherries are put through a water bath at the packaging facility to cool them down even more. Then they're packed into cardboard boxes with Modified Atmosphere Packaging liners. Or MAP liners.
Dr. Kelly Ross: Think of the liner as a really big plastic bag. But it's made up of a polymer that's got special gas diffusion properties that allows the carbon dioxide to preferentially diffuse, or pass through, and allows oxygen to come into the liner so those cherries don't experience too high a carbon dioxide environment. It also creates a relative humidity environment that keeps the cherries from losing too much water so they can maintain a plump, firm texture.
Narrator: These liners can keep cherries fresh for up to 4 to 6 weeks. Which will allow Canadian cherry producers to ship their product far overseas. Researchers at the Summerland Research Centre have also developed a new type of cherry, the Staccato cherry that will provide Canadian cherry growers an advantage in the Asian cherry market.
Dr. Kelly Ross: Staccato cherries are a late maturing variety. It allows the producers to have a longer cherry growing season so they're not competing with all of those early maturing varieties.
Narrator: British Columbia is the number one producer of sweet cherries in Canada.
And sweet cherries are British Columbia's most valuable tree fruit crop. Of the top ten markets for BC cherry exports five are in Europe and four are in Asia. The research being conducted by Dr. Ross and her colleagues in Summerland will ensure that the BC cherry industry will be better equipped to take full advantage of new and emerging markets all over the world.