Big Red Plum Bayberry

Big Red Plum Bayberry

　　Big Red Plum Bayberry

　　Breeding unit: LingShui County Fruit Bureau, Guangxi; Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Fruit Production Technology Guidance Station

　　Variety origin: Selected and cultivated from an outstanding individual plant discovered in the wild bayberry forest of Jiudong Village, Taiping Town, LingShui County.

　　Characteristics: The tree canopy is nearly round-shaped, with a distinct and relatively smooth trunk and grayish-white bark; new shoots are bluish-green, with branches at moderate angles. Leaves are leathery, alternate, oblong-ovate, measuring 5.7–11.1 cm in length and 1.6–2.6 cm in width, with serrated margins. Flowers are monoecious; male flower buds become loose and release pollen when blooming, while female flower axes have split scales. Each fruiting mother branch bears 2–4 fruits. Young fruits are yellowish-green; mature fruits are relatively large, spherical, with a diameter of 19–24 mm and a single fruit weight of 8–12 grams. The fruit color is red with even coloring. The flesh is thick, crisp, juicy, with soluble solids content of 10–12%. It has a balanced sweet and sour taste and an edible rate of 89–90%. Flowers bloom in mid-February, and fruits mature from late April to early May.

　　Yield performance: From 2009 to 2011, experts organized by the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Fruit Production Technology Guidance Station conducted comprehensive evaluations of the outstanding Jiudong Big Red Plum individual plant for three consecutive years. In 2007, the yield per plant was 58 kg; in 2008, 71.5 kg; in 2009, 75 kg; in 2010, 82 kg; and in 2011, 75 kg. In 2011, experts organized by the Office of the Variety Approval Committee of the Guangxi Seed Management Station conducted yield acceptance tests in Taiping Town, LingShui County. The average single fruit weight was 8.3 grams, the edible rate was 89.4%, the soluble solids content was 10.6%, the average yield per plant was 83.5 kg, and the average yield per mu was 1,837 kg.

　　Cultivation key points: 1. Select mountainous or hilly land with a slope of less than 45 degrees, deep soil layer, rich humus, and pH value of 4.5–5.5 for orchard establishment. Use air-layered or grafted seedlings, with planting spacing of 4 m × 5 m, i.e., 30–33 plants per mu. Apply 10–15 kg of well-rotted manure per hole. 2. For young trees, focus on quick-acting fertilizers, applying fertilizer 2–3 times per year. Mature trees should be top-dressed twice a year: the first time in late winter to early spring before bud break and shoot growth, and the second time after fruit harvest, with foliar fertilizer applied during fruit development. 3. Pruning and shaping generally adopt a “one main trunk with three primary branches” natural open-center canopy form. 4. Main pests and diseases to control include scale insects, leafrollers, and brown spot disease.

　　Approval opinion: Upon review, this variety meets the general guidelines for the approval of non-staple crop varieties and has been approved for cultivation in LingShui.