Breeding report of a new pitaya cultivar Hongshuijing No. 6

Abstract: Hongshuijing No. 6 is a new cultivar with outstanding quality, adaptability and a consistent yield. The seedling was derived from a cross between Baishuijing and Guangminghong in 1998 at the ex-perimental field. The flesh of Baishuijing is white and translucent, with high sweetness and outstanding quality. However, because the fruit is small and the yield is limited, it is grown commercially only as a high-end fruit within a small region. The male parent, Guangminghong, has red flesh, large fruit, great yield and excellent overall qualities, but the fruit quality is relatively low. It is one of the most extensive-ly produced types in mainland China. Approximately 3000 hybrid seeds were obtained from the cross. After seed sowing, 2000 strong seedlings were grafted, and 1560 individual plants became viable. After years of multi-point observation and analysis, one single plant was found to have excellent performance, and the strain all showed strong adaptability, fecundity, stable yield and genetic stability. The majority of branches of Hongshuijing No. 6 are quadrangular, and the juvenile stems are light green with light red ribbed borders that turn dark green later. Axillary buds evolve into spines with a length of 0.2-0.4 cm.The petals are white, sepals are orange-red with a red edge, style is 22.8 cm long with 24-30 stigma lobes, and the stigma lobes are yellow-green in color. The fruit is suborbicular, with an average weight of 295.0 g. The skin is red and 0.28 cm thick, the flesh is purple-red with an average longitudinal diameter of 8.5 cm and an average transverse diameter of 8.4 cm. The flesh is crisp and sweet, with an excellent flavor and consistent quality. The soluble solids and titratable acid contents were 14.2%, and 0.19%, re-spectively. It takes 16-18 days from bud break to flowering, and blooms in 10-12 batches from late May to late November. Each batch of blooms lasts four days, opening at 20:00 and wilting at 8:00 the next morning, depending on the seasons or weather. It possesses moderate canker disease resistance, which is better than the parents,and disease resistance is pretty strong. The fruit can be stored for 7-9 days at room temperature or 20-30 days under refrigeration, which is better than the parent Guangming- hong 5-8 days and Baishuijing 15-20 days, respectively, and comparable to the parent Baishuijing’s storage tolerance and adaptability to long distance transportation. The seedlings are very flexible, rough and easy to manage, but rich in organic content, as well as enough water and fertilizer, making them ide-al for increasing economic efficiency. Hongshuijing No. 6 is appropriate for planting in south and central region of Guangdong province. The seedlings were handled according to standard procedures, as Hongshuijing No. 6 is a self-incompatible variety and it requires 5% of pollinators to ensure fruit set.