Breeding report of a new ornamental peach cultivar Zhongli

Abstract: Zhongli is an ornamental peach with excellent tree habit and flower. The seeding was derived from 2007-25 with open pollination in 2010 at experimental field. The 2007-25 was derived from a cross between a selection of Baichuizhi בJuhuatao’. It was initially selected in 2013 for its extraordi-nary tree habit and flower type. After regional adaptability testing at three sites (including Nanjing, Li-shui and Wuxi) over four years from 2016 to 2019, it was finally selected in 2019. This species is a tall tree, attaining a height of 3 m; the tree is medium vigor with semicircular crown and weeping tree ges-ture. Young branches are dull grey-brown in color. The shoot internode length is 2.00 cm. Leaves is long lliptic-lanceolate, margin serrulate, base cuneate, green color, 11.24 cm long, 4.0 cm wide. The pet-iole length is 0.75 cm, with reniform glands. The flowers are chrysanthemum-like form, 10-20 petals,light red, 3.5 cm diameter when fully open; thirty-three to forty light red filaments and orange anthers with pollens; one pistil, pistil and stamen equal height; two round and ten pieces of reddish brown se-pals with light yellow inner calyx tub color. Fruit is mainly ovate, has greenish surface color. Its flesh is greenish-white, crisp. The average fruit weight is 30.5 g, maximum fruit weight is 42 g.The content of soluble solid is 12.6%, sour taste.The fruit development period is about 150 d and it matures at mid-Au-gust in Nanjing area. The percentage of water sprout branch with flower buds, long fruit shoot, middle fruit shoot, short fruit shoot and spur branch buds is 1.71%, 39.25%, 29.01%, 24.23% and 5.80%, re-spectively with 5-year-old tree. The site of first node with flower is 1-3, average 69 flowers per meter shoot. In Nanjing area, the flower buds expanded at early March, and began to bloom on March 20. The flowering period lasted for 15 days.It is moderately resistant to fugal gummosis.Suitable cultivation ar-ea is the Yangtze River Basin and the Yellow River Basin, this variety can flower and bear fruits next year after planted. It would be better to choose neutral sandy soil to plant trees, keep away from water logging area. It can be top-grafted on 1 m tall rootstock, so the shoots will hang down with good shape.The main purpose of pruning was to train the canopy shape for young tree, and to control the growth and promote the differentiation of flower buds for adult tree. Pruning after bloom was highly recom-mend so as to keep more flowers on the tree, and promote the ornamental value. In the period of flower bud expansion, the sulphur mixture should be sprayed, in order to reduce aphids, scale insects, erythro-neura sudra and bacterial shot-hole.