Breeding of a new late-ripening and high cold resistance peach cultivar Qiuyue

China, with over 4000 years of peach cultivation history, dominates global production. Northeastern Hebei, leveraging its unique microclimate and fertile plains, is a key production region, boasting 130 000 hectares and over 2.7 million tons output in 2024. However, industry development is constrained by an irrational variety structure, notably a deficiency in high-quality, late-ripening cultivars exhibiting adequate cold hardiness, consistent yield, and transport/storage tolerance, leading to market imbalances. To address this, the Changli Institute of Pomology, Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, initiated a breeding program targeting late-ripening peaches with superior appearance, internal quality, cold resistance, high yield, and good storage/transport characteristics. In 2007, a cross was made using Qiuyan (a seedling descendant of Yanhong, previously identified as 02-18-112 and registered in Hebei in 2015) as the female parent and Donghe No. 1 (a unique cold-region semi-cultivar) as the male parent. Hybrid seeds were collected in September 2007, stratified, sown in March 2008, and seedlings planted in May 2008. Initial selection commenced in 2011, with selection 11-10-118 identified in 2013 for its excellent quality and resilience. Top-grafted onto rootstock in 2014, it demonstrated late maturity (about 150 days fruit development period), yellow-white skin, white flesh, good adaptability, and stress resistance during 2015—2017 evaluations, leading to its advancement. Multi-location trials (2018—2023) across Hebei's main peach areas and comprehensive evaluation at full bearing (2021—2023) confirmed the stability and superior traits of Qiuyue (pedigree 11-10-118). It ripens in late September, producing large (avg. 334 g), uniform, near- round fruit with over 90% red blush on a yellowwhite background. The white flesh is firm-melting, moderately juicy, very sweet (SSC 13.6%), with excellent flavor and high firmness (13.2 kg · cm- 2 ). It is clingstone, crack-resistant, and highly tolerant to storage and transport. The tree exhibits moderate vigor, a semi-open habit, bears primarily on medium/ long shoots, is self- fruitful, productive, and exhibits consistent annual bearing. Crucially, Qiuyue possesses strong cold hardiness, surviving extreme winter lows in 2021 and 2023 without damage, and exhibits resistance to scab and bacterial shot hole. Key cultivation recommendations include planting in deep, fertile, well-drained soil (3-4 m × 4-5 m spacing, 44-55 trees· 666.7 m- 2 ) using a two-primary scaffold open-center system emphasizing summer pruning (4-5 times·year-1 ). Despite high self-fruitfulness, rigorous fruit thinning (≤250 fruits/tree, target yield 2200-3000 kg · 666.7 m- 2 ) is essential; bagging is advised in sunny regions. Employ drip irrigation; apply 4-5 m3 ·666.7 m-2 of well-rotted manure as a base fertilizer before leaf fall, supplemented by top- dressing pre- bloom and mid-late June. Pest management focuses on bacterial shot hole, scab, brown rot, aphids, fruit borers, leafminer, mites, and scale insects. Registered by the Hebei Forest and Grassland Variety Approval Committee in 2024 (No. Ji S-SV-PP-032-2024), Qiuyue integrates late maturity, high quality, robust cold tolerance, disease resistance, and excellent storability, making it ideal for enhancing late-season peach production in Hebei and similar regions.