Background: Rain-induced fruit cracking is a major physiological problem in most sweet cherry cultivars. For an in vivocracking assay, the 'Christensen method' (cracking evaluation following fruit immersion in water) is commonly used; however, this test does not adequately simulate environmental conditions.Herein, we have designed and evaluated a cracking protocol, named 'Waterfall method', in which fruits are continuously wetted under controlled conditions. Results: The application of this method alone, or in combination with 'Christensen method, was shown to be a reliable approach to characterize sweet cherry cracking behavior. Seventeen cherry cultivars were tested for their cracking behavior using both protocols, and primary as well as secondary metabolites identification was performed in skin tissue using a combined GC-MS and UPLC-MS/MS platform. Significant variations of some of the detected metabolites were discovered and important cracking index-metabolite correlations were identified. Conclusions:We have established an alternative/complementary method of cherry cracking characterization alongside to Christiansen assay.Additional file 1: Supplementary Table S1. Physiological traits of seventeen cherry cultivars at harvest and MANOVA output. Supplementary Table S2. Texture properties, main cracking of cultivars at harvest and MANOVA output. Additional file 2:Additional file 3: Supplementary Table S3. Quantitative results of skin primary metabolite analysis and MANOVA output. Supplementary Table S4. Quantitative results of skin secondary metabolite analysis and MANOVA output. Additional file 4:

Background: Rain-induced fruit cracking is a major physiological problem in most sweet cherry cultivars. For an in vivo cracking assay, the ‘Christensen method’ (cracking evaluation following fruit immersion in water) is commonly used; however, this test has been questioned. Herein, we have designed and evaluated a cracking protocol, named ‘Waterfall method’, in which fruits are continuously wetted under controlled conditions. Results: The application of this method alone, or in combination with ‘Christensen method, was shown to be a reliable approach to characterize sweet cherry cracking behavior. Seventeen cherry cultivars were tested for their cracking behavior using both protocols, and primary as well as secondary metabolites identification was performed in skin tissue using a combined GC-MS and UPLC-MS/MS platform. Significant variations of some of the detected metabolites were discovered and important cracking index–metabolite correlations were identified. Conclusions: We have established an efficient cracking protocolwhich may facilitate breeding for new sweet cherry cultivars with high resistance tocracking.