Cheery Glow Gains Ground in Chile With 200 Hectares Planted

As the Chilean cherry industry grapples with shifting climate patterns, rising logistics costs and increasingly competitive export markets, varietal innovation has become a key tool for enhancing competitiveness. Cheery Glow, developed by Bloom Fresh, is emerging as one of the more compelling new options, with around 200 hectares now planted in Chile and strong early feedback from both growers and international buyers.

Cheery Glow (IFG Cher-Six) is an early-season cherry variety with golden skin and a natural pink-red blush covering 70% or more of the fruit surface. The blush develops through sun exposure rather than artificial intervention, a result of the variety’s open growth habit, which promotes good light penetration. The fruit is large and firm with a sugar content of 20–22 degrees Brix. The variety entered the Chinese market in mid-November last year and was met with strong market enthusiasm.

María José Castro, representing Bloom Fresh’s authorized nursery in Chile, Nueva Vid, highlighted adaptability as one of the variety’s core strengths, noting that most growing zones between the Coquimbo and Maule regions are suitable for cultivation — including earlier-ripening areas where other varieties struggle. Growers with orchards already in production have broadly reported high fruit uniformity, excellent quality and ease of management.

Cheery Glow’s most strategically important attribute is its low chill requirement of around 450 hours — well below the 800 to 1,000 hours required by most traditional varieties. With winters becoming increasingly unpredictable across Chilean growing regions and chill hour accumulation declining in several key areas, cherry varieties with low chill requirements are more likely to reach their yield potential in years when winter chill is insufficient, thereby reducing risk for growers.

Cheery Glow’s average yield of 15 metric tons per hectare is competitive, and the trees come into production early, shortening the return on investment timeline. A fruit set rate of 15–20% provides solid productivity, while long pedicels allow fruit to be harvested without direct handling, reducing damage. Cheery Glow can be picked five to seven days ahead of Santina, and up to 10 days earlier in favorable conditions.

High firmness ensures that the fruit holds quality for up to 60 days in storage — a critical factor for shipping to China and other distant markets. Its distinctive golden-blush appearance has already drawn positive responses from buyers in China, Europe and the United States.

Image: Bloom Fresh

This article was based on a Chinese article. Read the original article.