Hubin Honey Pomelo

Hubin Honey Pomelo

　　Hubin Honey Pomelo is a new strain selected from Pingshan Pomelo. Between 1987 and 1990, it was identified as a highly promising pomelo variety by the research group of the "Fujian Province Pomelo Excellent Variety Resource Survey and Study" project, led by the Fruit Tree Research Institute of the Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Zhangzhou Agricultural Science Research Institute, and was named "Hubin Honey Pomelo." In 1986, the Hubin Honey Pomelo parent-child orchard was established to conduct variety breeding research. Five excellent individual plants (92-1, 92-2, 92-3, 92-6, 92-8) were selected and passed the evaluation and acceptance of provincial and regional expert groups. In November 1994, it participated in the third National Pomelo Scientific Research and Production Collaboration Conference evaluation and won the Golden Cup Award for High-Quality Pomelos.

　　 The Hubin Honey Pomelo tree is robust, sprouting 3–4 times a year, self-pollinating, with abundant and long-lasting flowering. It buds in February and matures in early November. It features early fruiting, high yield, disease resistance, strong adaptability, drought tolerance, and cold resistance. Fruits begin to form in the third year, with per-tree yield reaching 60 kg by the fifth year and up to 80 kg by the seventh year, and per-mu yield reaching 3,360 kg.

　　 The Hubin Honey Pomelo has a round-headed fruit and leaf shape, large fruit size, attractive appearance, and strong fragrance. The single fruit weighs 1,200–1,500 g, with a vertical diameter of 14.3–17.0 cm and a horizontal diameter of 14.0–16.0 cm. The peel is yellow, 1.0–2.2 cm thick, with 13–14 segments. The fruit easily separates from the segments. It has an acid content of 0.69%, 10.6% invert sugar, and vitamin content of 44.7 mg per 100 ml juice. The Hubin Honey Pomelo has a good taste—crisp flesh, balanced sweet and sour flavor—and can be stored until the end of April the following year. It is widely sold to provinces and cities such as Guangdong and Shanghai, and is a beloved fruit of all ages in Gutian.

　　The Hubin Honey Pomelo originates from Hubin Township, Gutian County, Fujian Province, and is a seedling bud mutation resulting from the cross between Pingshan Pomelo and Late White Pomelo. It is mainly produced in Gutian County and has been introduced and cultivated in areas such as Nanping, Jian’ou, Minqing, Lianjiang, and Pingnan in Fujian Province.

　　　　The tree is vigorous with a round-headed canopy, large oval leaves that are slightly incurved, and medium-sized wing leaves. The fruit is oblong-oval in shape, with a fruit shape index of 1.01. The base is flat or slightly raised on one side, featuring distinct radial grooves, and the apex is broadly flat with a slight central depression. The single fruit weighs 1,200–1,500 g. The rind is yellow, aromatic, with prominent and relatively coarse oil glands, and a peel thickness of 1.4–2.5 cm. The sponge layer is white with a slight pinkish tint. There are 13–14 segments, crescent-shaped and neatly arranged, with a hollow fruit core. The flesh is waxy yellow, crisp and tender, with moderately juicy texture, sweet and sour flavor, and rich aroma. Each 100 ml of juice contains 7.76–7.84 g total sugar, 0.65–0.70 g total acid, 37.5–44.7 mg vitamin C, 10.0%–12.0% soluble solids, 44.21%–61.3% edible rate, 27.85%–28.06% juice rate, with an average of 6.6 normal seeds and 104 shriveled seeds. The quality is upper-medium. The fruit matures in early November and stores well. It is early-bearing and highly productive, with a high fruit-setting rate under self-pollination. Fruiting begins three years after planting, with an average yield of about 7.5 kg per tree, and 80 kg per tree for 7-year-old trees. It has good compatibility when grafted onto trifoliate orange rootstock, along with a dwarfing effect.