Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) - a special fruit crop

Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott) belongs to the group of minor fruit crops which has been cultivated only for a short period. The ripe fruits are used as herbal remedy or for food ingredients as food colorant and additive for beverages. Antioxidative properties are ascribed to the high content of polyphenols. Black chokeberry is propagated by tissue culture in vitro or by cuttings. The varieties 'Aron', 'Nero' and 'Viking' proved well for cultivation in the federal state of Hesse. Black chokeberry needs a medium soil rich in humus. The pH should be in the range of 6-6.5 and the medium precipitation should amount to 700 mm/a. A high yield can only be achieved by appropriate supply of mineral fertilisers. Two years old container plants are planted preferably in March or April in a distance of 0.7 x 4 m. The band between the bushes must be kept clean of weeds. The stands are cut as hedges by a hydraulic cutter. The bushes should be regenerated in a period of time of five to six years by removing old stems in the center of the bush. Damages of the stands by frost and infestation by pests and diseases are marginal. The fruit harvest is mechanised. An yield of about 8-10 t/ha can be achieved. The fruits can be kept for some time in common storerooms. Due to the increasing demand on the market, black chokeberry is an prospective minor crop for some farms in Hesse.