Abstract：Jinyu is an early-season, table apple with excellent appearance. The seeding was derived from a cross between Huamei and Hongro in 2006 at experimental field. It was initially selected in 2010 for its early ripening time, producing small, uniform fruits with a clean appearance, golden-brown skin, fine, crisp flesh, sour-sweet and fragrant flavor. After five years of consistent observations, it was finally selected in 2016. The regional adaptability was testing from 2017 to 2018 at five sites (including Zhengzhou, Xinxiang, Sanmenxia, Shangqiu, and Gongyi), received authorization from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs for the protection of new plant varieties in 2019; and was approved by the Henan Forest Species Certification Committee in 2023. Young Jinyu trees are vigorous, with strong, fast-growing branches that exhibit slightly shortened growth. The leaves measure 10.13 cm in length and 6.34 cm in width, medium green, and had acuminate (pointed) tips. Flowering begins in early April, with a full bloom occurring from April 4 to 13, lasting 9 to 10 days. The fruit begins to lose its astringency and acidity in mid-June, turns from green to yellow in early July. Leaf fall occurs in early November, with a vegetative growth period of 250–260 days.The fruit is cylindrical or long conical, with a clean and regular shape. It has an average longitudinal diameter of 5.4 cm and a transverse diameter of 5.5 cm. The fruit was small, weighing approximately 110 g on an average. The flesh is yellowish-white, fine, and crisp, with a peel hardness of 8.5 kg·cm-². The juice has a soluble solid content of 14.4%, titratable acid content of 0.12%, and sweet and sour flavor of high quality. They ripen in mid-to-late July in Zhengzhou, approximately two weeks earlier than Gala and its parent varieties. The flavor is similar to that of Gala and can be marketed during the gap before Gala apples mature, following the early harvest of the Mato variety. The fruit development period is 100 to 110 days and it matures at the early to middle of July in Zhengzhou area; Axillary flower buds were easily produced from Jinyu saplings. To reduce the competition between these buds and overall tree growth, it is important to remove excess axillary buds during the sapling stage. Because Jinyu has a high fruit set rate, thinning flowers and fruits is crucial to ensure optimal fruit size. Typically, no more than two fruits are allowed per inflorescence, with a spacing of 10-15 cm between fruit clusters. The plants exhibited minimal occurrence of severe leaf diseases such as leaf blight and powdery mildew. The fruit can be stored for 10-15 days at room temperature, has a rich flavor, and is highly productive, cold storage life is 2 months. Jinyu is highly adaptable and has a wide planting range, making it suitable for dwarfing, semi-dwarfing, and various rootstock types. In mountainous areas with poor soil, Jinyu can be cultivated using either full or semi-dwarf rootstocks, a planting distance of 2.5-3.5 meters by 4-5 m is recommended, along with free spindle training. For good soil, M26 rootstocks were best spaced at 1.5-2 m by 3.5-4 m, while M9 rootstocks were best spaced at 1.2-1.5 meters by 3-3.5 meters.
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