A new fresh-eating and processingsuper soft-seed pomegranate cultivar Suanmei

Abstract: Suanmei (Punica granatum L.) is a new pomegranate cultivar selected by Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. It wasselected from artificial cross breeding of Yiselieruanzisuan which was introduced to China in 1996 and Heizitian which was selected from Yangling Agricultural Hi-tech Industries Demonstration Zone Shaanxi province. Cross-fertilize were proceeded in 2003, and 730 hybrid seedlings were obtained. In April 2004, they were planted in the Dried Fruit Germplasm Resource Garden of Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. After years of observing growth habits, an excellent single plant 11-05-116 was found in 2010. Through three consecutive years of phenological period and fruit quality investiga- tion, 11-05-116 had excellent performance in fruit quality, high yield, and stability. In 2013, we began to conduct regional trials by grafting to 8-year-old trees, and propagated more than 1000 seedlings through twig cuttings. In 2013, we established a growing test garden for the superior line of Suanmei soft-seed pomegranate. In the spring of 2013, in Liugou village, Gaocun town, Xingyang city, 330 8- year-old pomegranate trees were grafted by the method of high grafting and variety replacement, with a row spacing of 3.5 m×3.5 m, to establish a pilot district. In the spring of 2013, about 2000 m2 of seed- lings were planted in Laocheng town of Xichuan county, Shanyang district of Jiaozuo city, and Xin’an county of Luoyang city. At the same time, Tunisiruanzi soft-seed pomegranate was used as a control. The excellent strain fruit had beautiful appearance and sweet-sour taste. It was named as Suanmei soft- seed pomegranate in 2020. Fruit shape index of the strain was 1.1, nearly round. Average weight of sin-gle fruit was 505 g, extra-large fruit type. Longitudinal diameter was 97.36 mm, and transverse diame- ter was 85.86 mm. The fruit surface was bright and clean, the background color of the fruit was yellow- green, and the skin facing the sun was red. The thickness of the skin was 3.56 mm. Besides, the kernel was red, and the weight of 100 grains was 38.8 g. The juice tasted sweet and sour, and the juice rate was 88.2%. Nucleolus was super soft (seed hardness 1.4 kg·cm-2). The basic trait data of each component of fruit like this: soluble solid content 15.9%, soluble sugar 11.9%, ascorbic acid content 8.89 mg·100 g-1, total acid (calculated as citric acid) 18 g·kg-1, total amino acid 8.40 g·kg-1. The physiological fruit drop period began one week after flowers fall. Generally, the physiological fruit drop period last for 2 to 3 days, and the fruit growth period was about 120 days. The fruit surface started to color in mid-August. The calyx was the earliest and darker in color. The fruit began to mature in late September. Leaves be- gan to fall in late October, and the annual growth period was about 210 days. The full bloom rate of the second sapling flowers of Suanmei was about 3%-5%, with the natural fruit setting rate 55%-58% and the high fruit setting rate. The phenomenon of big and small results was not obvious. It had high yield. In 2013, the 8-year-old Yudazi trees were used as rootstocks bygrafting in Liugou village, Xingyang city, Henan province. There were will a certain yield next year. In the 4th year the average yield per plant was 29.0 kg, and the yield per mu can reached 1566 kg.