Breeding of a new high-quality and mid-ripening peach cultivar Zijinyucui

Zijinyucui is a new white-fleshed peach variety with storable transportation and high qualities, developed through the hybridization between the firm peach varieties Yumyeoung and Xiacui in 2008. Yumyeoung is a storable, middle-ripening and white fleshed peach cultivar introduced from Korea and Xiacui is an early-July peach cultivar bred by Institute of Pomology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The parents are Stony hard. In March, the anthers of Xiacui were collected before open and dried under 25 ℃ on a peice of clean white paper. Before blooming, the female’s corollas were removed and pollinated immediately. The fruits were harvested in early August, and then matured seeds were taken out and disinfected. The seeds were placed in petri dishes and treated in cold storage at (3±2) ℃. When the seeds germinated, they were transferred to the culture for cultivation, and transplanted to the hole tray after 1 month. 65 seedlings were obtained finally. In late April, the seedlings were planted in the field. The trees began to bear fruits in the third year, with second year flowering. They entered the full fruiting period in the fifth year, with good yield. The numbered C18-3-3-16 was eventually selected. With the method of identification and tests, it was named as Zijinyucui when released. The tree of Zijinyucui is spread. The budbreak rate and branching ability are medium. The aver-age internode length is 2.6 cm. The green leaves are usually elliptic-lanceolate and middle-sized. The average leaf length and width are 19.6 cm and 4.3 cm, respectively. The length of petioles is 1.1 cm, with 2-4 reniform glands. In Nanjing, Zijinyucui begins to bloom in mid to late March and lasts for about 1 week. The flower is showy with 5 wide-elliptical petals and a diameter of 4.9 cm. The fruit is round. The white skin is mostly covered by rose-red color. The average fruit weight is 273.3 g and the largest is up to 366 g. It is cling and the stone is oval. The flesh is white. It has a soluble solids content of 12.6% and titratable acidity of 0.19%. The fruit has high storage resistance, and is generally stored at room temperature for 7 days and at 4 ℃ for more than 15 days. The growth vigor of Zijinyucui is moderate. In the Nanjing test orchard, 5-year-old trees had a 100% fruiting branch ratio, with proportions of long, medium, short and bouquet branches being 44.3∶27.7∶20.8∶7.2. All types of fruiting branches can flower and bear fruits normally. The average flower bud initiation occurs at the 2.1st node, with flower buds being 1.62 times more than leaf buds. The compound flower buds are 8.02 times more than single flower buds. Under normal weather conditions, the natural pollination fruit set rate remains stable above 60%, indicating good fruiting performance. Watering should follow each fertilizer application, while irrigation should be controlled within 10 days before harvest. The tree grows vigorously and the young trees can train a shape quickly. So far, no special diseases and insects have been found, no shrinkage leaf disease occurs, no anthrax and brown rot have been found to harm the fruit, and aphids have a negligible attack, showing moderate resistance. However, with the increase of tree age, the gum disease gradually aggravates. Zijinyucui is selected and cultivated in Jiangsu Province, which is suitable for cultivation in Jiangsu area and other areas with similar ecological conditions.