Late-maturing citrus variety: Qingjian

Late-maturing citrus variety: Qingjian

　　The Qingjian citrus variety is a hybrid developed in 1949 by Japan’s Horticultural Research Station (now the Citrus Research Division of the Fruit Tree Research Station, Shizu Branch) through crossing the Trovita sweet orange (a seedling variant of Washington navel orange) with the Miyagawa Wenzhou tangerine. It was officially named “Qingjian” in 1979. The Qingjian tree has moderate vigor, with long, slender branches that tend to droop, and medium-sized leaves. The fruit is flat-round in shape, weighing about 200–250 grams per piece, with a yellow-orange, relatively smooth rind. In the Hechuan area, it matures in early March, and its skin is delicate. In recent years, our district has developed around 10,000 acres of late-maturing hybrid citrus—Qingjian—along both banks of the Qu River, in towns such as Shuanghuai, Xiaomian, and Shitan. Among these, the late-maturing citrus Qingjian in Hemma Village, Shuanghuai Town, has entered a phase of large-scale production. The Qingjian citrus, which matures in early March in our district, can be kept fresh on the tree until the end of July through a series of fruit-preserving measures. It maintains excellent qualities such as juiciness, tender flesh, and a deliciously sweet and tangy flavor. The retail price reaches 10 yuan per kilogram, delivering very significant economic benefits.