Guiding Panjiang Crisp Plum

Guiding Panjiang Crisp Plum

The Guiding Panjiang Crisp Plum is a product with geographical indication status.

　　The Panjiang Town crisp plum is the fruit variety with the largest planting area, best quality, and stable yield in Guiding County. It is mainly cultivated along the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the Panjiang River (also known as the Wengcheng River). Research indicates that it has an 80-year cultivation history. Originally, a family surnamed Meng from Xiaohongyan in Qingzhen, Guiyang, fled to escape bandit attacks, relocating their entire household to Qilichangchong Village in Shipu, Panjiang Town, Guiding County. They also brought several plum trees, which adapted well to the local environment. This variety is highly adaptable, easy to propagate, cultivate, and manage, with fast fruiting. It quickly gained widespread cultivation and developed better quality than the original location, with longer tree lifespan as well. Today, five 46-year-old crisp plum trees in Shangluohai still bear fruit, with individual yields reaching 70–80 jin. Due to their graceful tree shape and profuse white blossoms in early spring, Panjiang crisp plums are also excellent ornamental trees with strong adaptability. The natural small basin of Panjiang provides locals with ample paddy fields, eliminating competition for land between food crops and crisp plums. Most crisp plum trees are planted on gentle slopes and terraces along the riverbanks, where the soil is mostly yellow sandy loam—deep, fertile, and well-drained. This prevents root rot and resin disease caused by poor drainage during the plum rain season, creating ideal soil conditions for the growth and fruit development of the crisp plum trees. The favorable microclimate and fertile soil in the planting areas, along with the beneficial terrain, provide an optimal environment for high-quality, bountiful Panjiang crisp plum production.

　　Research shows that Panjiang crisp plums belong to the green crisp plum variety of plums. They are propagated through root sucker division. Previously, they were mostly planted in the soil crevices of sloped farmland but have now expanded to contracted responsibility fields and barren hillsides. Planting lacks standardized specifications. Planting typically occurs from December to January each year without standardized cultivation practices. Soil, fertilizer, and water management in crisp plum orchards is extremely extensive, with almost no pruning, flower thinning, fruit thinning, or flower/fruit retention measures. Pesticides are rarely used for pest control, except by a few larger growers who apply winter fertilizer (mainly farmyard manure). Alternating heavy and light yield years are not significant. Fruit harvesting does not follow practices like picking with frost, stem attached, or gentle handling. There is no fruit processing or preservation, and sales rely mainly on fresh, direct marketing.

　　Panjiang crisp plum buds sprout around February 6th, with leaf buds stirring in mid-February. New shoots begin emerging in late February, with short shoots usually ceasing growth by late March. Mature trees typically grow one shoot per year, while young trees may grow two. Flowering begins in late February, peaks in early March, and fades by mid-to-late March. The fruit growth period lasts from late March to early July, with maturation occurring in mid-July. Leaves begin shedding in late November.

　　Panjiang crisp plums are slightly flattened and round in shape, with a flat top and a slight depression at the apex. The skin is pale yellow, thin, coated with a white bloom, and smooth. The flesh is thick, pale yellow, slightly darker near the pit, dense, juicy, and crisp. The average fruit weight is 32.3g. The flavor is sweet and juicy, with a firm, crisp, and refreshing texture, a delicate fragrance, and a slight bitterness. Rich in vitamin C, protein, fat, minerals, calcium, iron, and various amino acids, these plums are a green food that helps lower blood pressure, stimulate appetite, boost immunity, resist radiation, enhance beauty, and combat aging. They are highly favored by consumers and widely sold in Guangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guiyang.

　　The average annual yield of Panjiang crisp plums reaches around 3 million kilograms. In 2002, Panjiang Town planned to plant 6,000 mu of crisp plums.

　　Geographic Scope

　　Protected Area for Guiding Panjiang Crisp Plum: Entire territory of Guiding County. Geographic coordinates: 106°53′–107°22′ east longitude, 26°05′–26°46′ north latitude. The region spans 25 km east-west and 71 km north-south, covering a total area of 1,631 square kilometers. It borders Duyun City and Majiang County to the east, Pingtang and Huishui counties to the south, Longli County to the west, and Fuquan City to the north. Crisp plum cultivation extends along the Panjiang River basin, covering 20 towns including Chengguan, Xinpu, Xinba, Dexin, Machanghe, Luobeihe, Panjiang, Yanshan, Jiuzhi, Dingnan, Dingdong, Duliu, Changming, Yanxia, Houchangbao, Baoguan, Tiechang, and Yunwu. The total planting area for crisp plums is 1,200 hectares, with an annual output of 35,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　(1) External Sensory Characteristics: The fruit is nearly round, light greenish-yellow, weighing around 30g, with a diameter of about 3.9cm. The suture line is distinct, the bloom even, the skin thin and the flesh thick. It is freestone, crisp, sweet, tender, and refreshing. (2) Internal Quality Indicators: Guiding Panjiang Crisp Plum contains 12.0–13.0% soluble solids, 2.80–3.10 mg/100g vitamin C, 0.08–0.12 g/100g protein, 4.2–4.8 g/100g reducing sugar, 52.0–54.0 mg/kg calcium, 2.2–2.8 mg/kg iron, 2.2–2.6 mg/kg zinc, 1265.0–1275.0 mg/kg potassium, and 12.0–13.0 mg/kg sodium. (3) Quality and Safety Requirements: Guiding Panjiang Crisp Plum complies with the quality and safety standards of "Pollution-Free Pome Fruits" (NY5011-2006).