A new early-ripening peach cultivar Zijinhuangcui

Abstract: Zijinhuangcui is a new early-ripening peach cultivar for the fresh-eating purpose, which was selected from the cross between Huayu (pecch) and Z8 (nectarine) in 2007. Huayu is a late-ripening and white-fleshed peach cultivar with good storage and transportation ability, while Z8 is an early-ripening nectarine selection. In late April of 2008, 314 seedlings were planted in the breeding nursery of Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences at the spacing of 4 meters between rows and 1 meter between trees in a row. It was initially selected in 2011 for its early ripening and firm texture, and then was top-grafted in the autumn. After regional adaptability testing at three sites (including Suzhou, Nanjing and Xuzhou) over six years from 2014 to 2019, it was finally selected in 2019, and named as Zijinhuangcui.The tree vigor is moderate with half-open gesture. The current shoots are amaranth in color. The inter-node length of long fruit-bearing branch is 2.60 cm. The greenish-yellow leaves are long lliptic-lanceo-late, being 16.56 cm long and 4.81 cm wide and crenate. The length of petioles is 0.82 cm. Leaf glands are reniform, with about 2 to 4 counts. The flower is nonshowy with 5 petals and purple pink color, and it blooms in mid-March in Nanjing. The fruit is round with round-flat top, mostly covered with red color. The flesh is yellow and crisp with stony-hard texture, sweet taste or slightly sour flavor with good quality. The average fruit weight is 242 g, with a maximum fruit weight of 450 g. The soluble solids content is 12.2%, the soluble sugar content is 8.17%, the titratable acid content is 0.24%, and the flesh firmness without skin is 40.89 N. It is semi-free stone and the stone shape is ovate. The fruit matures in late June in Nanjing with the fruit development period lasting about 95 d. The proportion of flower buds  to leaf buds is 145.93%, with mainly complex flower buds. This cultivar is self-fruitful, and under the open pollination conditions, fruit set rate is 33.4%. It can bear fruits next year after planted, and has high yield potential. It is moderately resistant to peach gummosis, bacterial leaf spot, brown rot, etc. The fruit has good storage and transportation ability, and flavor remains unchanged over 10 days at room temperature or after three weeks cold storage. Orchard should be established on sandy soil with irrigation and drainage system; planting spacing between trees in a row is (3-4) m and between rows is 5m with open center system and spacing between trees in a row is (2.0-2.5) m and between rows is 5 m with Y-type system. Zijinhuangcui is suitable for cultivation in Jiangsu province and other areas with similar climate and geographical conditions.