Retrospection and prospect of fruit breeding for last four decades in China

Abstract: The fruit genetic improvement & breeding has achieved a great progress since late of 1970 s.A total of 1968 cultivars/varieties of scion and rootstock have been bred or registered during the past four decades based on counting 11 fruit types; as has been promoting the rapid development of fruit industry in China, and supporting the extension of supply season, quality enhancement as well as improvement of culture practice efficacy. Cytological engineering technologies has widely used in fruit genetic improvement, molecular marker assisted selection is being used for fruit breeding, these have increased the breeding efficiency. Genomics research on fruits developed quickly during the past years in China, and has harvested cut-edged results. The trends for fruit breeding in the future includes diversified cultivars/varieties to meet different demands of consumers and processing, better resistances to bio/abiostresses, and less-labor culture practice.