Breeding of new pomelo variety Shuijing Xiang

Shuijing Xiang is a single-bud sport mutation discovered in a collective pomelo orchard of Sanhong Honey Pomelo in Jiaoling County, Meizhou. In 2013, it was preliminarily selected for its vigorous tree vigor, crisp fruit flesh, and early ripening. Starting in the spring of 2014, 600 trees were grafted using artificial top-grafting at farms in Jiaoling County. Following the five consecutive years of observation and cultivation from 2017 to 2021, the traits of Shuijing Xiang remained stable, with no atypical plants observed. The variety underwent DUS testing and was granted plant variety rights in 2025. This variety exhibits an upright growth habit with strong and healthy tree vigor. Six-year-old trees reach a height of 3.7 m. The young shoots are pubescent, with spreading and relatively dense branches, short thorns, strong budding ability, and abundant shoot growth. The leaves are simple, entire-margined, and deep green in color. The inflorescence is a raceme, and the flowers are pure white. The fruit flesh features bicolored juice sacs, with a crisp and refreshing texture, a sweet taste with slight acidity, abundant juice, and minimal residue. The average soluble solids content is 11, vitamin C content is 46.55 mg per 100 mL, titratable acidity is 0.71%, and firmness is 5.17 kg · cm-2 . Under natural pollination conditions, the seed count is moderate. The variety is resistant to citrus canker and tolerant to decline disease. Shuijing Xiang is suitable for cultivation in the subtropical monsoon climate ecological zone of Meizhou City, Guangdong Province, and Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province, particularly during the spring and autumn seasons. Orchards should be established on gentle slopes with a gradient of less than 20°, and a planting spacing of 3 m × 4 m is recommended. Grafting onto intermediate rootstocks such as Yellowflesh Honey Pomelo or Red- flesh Honey Pomelo is advised, as this can effectively mitigate excessive vegetative vigor in Shuijing Xiang trees and help maintaining stable and high yields. Water control is essential during fruit maturation, and cracking is likely to occur if rainfall coincides with the harvesting period.