Breeding report of a new variety Hongyu of Elaeagnus moorcroftii in Xinjiang

Hongyu is a local variety found in the farmland of Qiaha Township, Celle County, Hotan Region, Xinjiang in 2006. The regional experiments were carried out in Hotan, Mo Yu, Atushi, Aksu County, etc. After many years of continuous observation, the biological characteristics of this variety were stabile. The State Forestry and Grassland Bureau granted Hongyu the first batch of new plant variety right in 2022, and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Forestry and Grassland Bureau recognized it in 2023. The tree of Hongyu was strong and upright The trunk was grayish-brown in color with deep longitudinal fissures, sparse and reddish- brown and thornless branches. The single leaf was alternate, long ovoid, entire and gray- green. The drupeswere full at maturity, the pericarp was chestnut red, covered with white scales, the fruit stalk was short, the fruit was long ovate, the average weight of a single fruit was 2.50 g, the maximum was up to 4.5 g, and the edible rate was up to 81.48%. The flesh was yellowish brown and tasted sweet and slightly sour with a little astringent flavor. The total sugars content of the fruit was 60.400%, proanthocyanidins, 1.706 g·100 g-1 , total flavonoids content 526.000 mg·100 g-1 , total phenols, 1470.000 mg·100 g-1 proteins content 4.450 g·100 g-1 , and fats content 14.9%. It was also rich in trace elements. The sap begined to flow in late March, the bud burst begined in mid-April, the flowering occurred in early to late May, the fruits ripened in mid- to late-November, and the leaves fell in early December.This variety was drought-resistant and salt-resistant, suitable for planting in the sandy wasteland, saline and alkaline land, gravelly sandy land in the Ring Tarim Basin, the northern edge of Junggar Basin and similar climatic zones, with strong cold-resistant ability, and it could be grown atan altitude of 2200 meters above the sea level. As an excellent ecological and economic tree species, it is mainly vegetitavelly propagated by hard cuttings. It could be overwintered and planted upright in the south and north of Xinjiang, and would become a pioneer tree species in the Taklimakan Desertt borderlocking project and the desert blockade.