Breeding of a new mid-late ripening peach cultivar Furui

Abstract: Furui is a mid-late maturity peach cultivar with excellent appearance. The seedlings are from the cross between Ruiguang 19 and Laishan Mi in 1999 at experimental field. In spring of 2000, the hybrid seeds were planted. In April 2001, the hybrid seedlings were transplanted into the hybridized breed-ing nursery spacing of 0.8 m×4 m. In 2003, the elite seedlings were selected and named FX-01. After that, they were grafted on the aged tree in the Peach Variety Exhibition Orchards. In the second year af-ter grafting, the tree could bear the fruits and the yield would be 10 kg per tree in the third year and 23.5kg in the fourth year. After regional adaptability testing at three sites (including Beijing, Shijiazhuang, Xi’an) over 8 years from 2006 to 2014, it was finally selected in 2014. The tree is vigorous with ramose crown and upright tree gesture. Young branches are glabrous, yellowish-brown in color. Mature leaves are broad- lanceolate, acuminate，15.10 cm long, 3.23 cm wide, serrated. Flower is pink, 38.96 mm across. Fruit is oval, has deep red surface. Its flesh is yellow and white, crisp, hard melting and tasting sweet. The average fruit weight 256.2 g, maximum fruit weight 402.6 g. The content of soluble solid 14.3%, the content of total acid 0.13%, hardness without skin 8.3 kg·cm^-2, Vitamin C 1.13 mg·100 g^-1, freestone, and the edible rate is 98.2%. Quality is excellent. Resistant to storage and transportation, the flavor remains unchanged for 45 d in cold air storage. The fruit development period is about 120 d and it matures on early August in Yantai; proportion of flower buds/leaf buds is 106.8%, single flower bud/complex flower buds is 202.5%. Branching ability is great and yield is high and stable. It is resistant to coldness, fruit cracking and moderate resistant to aphids, etc. Suitable cultivation area is North China peach producing, this variety can bear fruits next year after planted, has high yield potential. The yield of 4-year-old trees is about 29.3 t·hm -2. Orchard should choose neutral sandy soil which is flat and has ability of moisture and fertilizer retention; spacing in the rows and spacing between rows are 3 m × (4-5) m with open-centered training, and spacing in the rows and spacing between rows are (1.5-2) m × (4-5) m with Y-type training; pruning includes pinching, bending and back spune, aiming at controlling tree size and maintaining tree vigor.