From June 22nd to 23rd, hosted by Science and Technology Department of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Northwest A&F University and Cherry Branch of Chinese Society for Horticultural Science, organized by People's Government of Chengcheng County and College of Horticulture of Northwest A&F University, theinauguration Ceremony of the National Innovation Alliance of Cherry Industry and the first symposium on cherry technology and industry development were grandly held in “China Cherry Science and Technology Demonstration County” Chengcheng County, Shaanxi Province.

More than 200 people attended the symposium, including Cherry Branch of Chinese Society for Horticultural Science, the Science and Education Division of the Agricultural and Rural Department of Shaanxi Province, the Chinese Botanical Society, the Chengcheng County People's Government, the National Innovation Alliance of Cherry Industry, industry experts and representatives of 25 alliance units. The conference mainly includes five parts: the preparatory meeting of the National Innovation Alliance of Cherry Industry (hereinafter referred to as the Cherry Alliance), the inaugural meeting of the alliance, the seminar on cherry science and technology as well as industrial development, the cherry fruit and fruit wine tasting meeting, and the on-site technical training meeting.

The inaugural meeting of the Alliance was presided over by Professor Xu Lingfei, vice dean of NWAFU College of Horticulture. Zhang Kaichun, chairman of the Cherry Branch of the Chinese Horticultural Society, Deng Junping, deputy mayor of the Chengcheng County People’s Government, and Shen Wei, deputy director of the Science and Education Division of the Agriculture and Rural Department of Shaanxi Province, delivered speeches. Union Chairman Cai Yuliang, chairman of the Cherry Alliance, announced the organization of the Cherry Alliance.Professor Zhang Kaichun, Professor Cai Yuliang, researcher Pan Fengrong of the Fruit Research Institute of Dalian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, researcher Sun Yugang of Shandong Fruit Research Institute and other experts at the seminar respectively made academic reports on the modern shaping and pruning technology of cherry, current situation and development trend of cherry industry, large cherry facility cultivation technology and sweet cherry variety selection technology.

During the meeting, the participants tasted 9 varieties of late ripening big cherries introduced from Hungary, including the excellent new varieties of large cherry “Jimei”, late ripening, resistant storage and transportation, independently selected and bred by our university, processed sour cherry varieties “Meilei”,“Aojie” and “Carina”, “Sweetheart”, etc. In addition, everyone was invited to taste the cherry liqueur and cherry brandy, the deep-processed products of cherry, which were highly praised by experts and representatives.

Translated by: Ruan Shuling

Proofread by: Zhang Xiaorong