Maidiwan Pears

Maidiwan Pears

Maidiwan Pears are an agricultural product with geographic indication status.

　　Maidiwan Pears are a specialty of Yunlong County in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. They are known as a “late-maturing, high-quality pear variety unique to Yunnan Province” and have been certified as green food. Maidiwan Pears are also a nationally protected product under the Agricultural Product Geographic Indication system.

　　Maidiwan Pears are a unique, late-maturing, storable local pear variety from Yunlong County with a long cultivation history. According to the Yunlong County Annals, “they have been cultivated for nearly 100 years.” Since they ripen in winter, locals also call them “Winter Snow Pears.” I. The Origin of the Name “Maidiwan Pear” The name “Maidiwan Pear” is linked to the period when educated youth were sent to work in rural areas. At that time, many educated youths from Xiaguan were concentrated in the Lancang River valley area of Jiuzhou District (now Gongguoqiao Town), Yunlong County. Due to limited production and storage technology, no pears were available from February to March each year. One person brought pears from Maidiwan Village to share with the youths at the work site. After tasting the juicy, sweet pears, the youths asked, “What kind of pears are these?” The person didn’t know the exact variety but only mentioned they were from Maidiwan. Later, when the youths wanted to eat these pears, they would ask, “Do you have any Maidiwan Pears?” Over time, this led to the naming of the variety as “Maidiwan Pear,” combining the place name with the fruit. II. The Origin of the Pear Variety According to the 1998 issue of “Hebei Forestry and Fruit Research,” Vol. 13, No. 1, titled “An Investigation on Maidiwan Pears of Yunlong,” the Maidiwan Pear of Yunlong, also called Maizhuang Pear or Snow Pear, is a local variety originating from Yunnan. Because it came from Sichuan, locals also referred to it as Sichuan Pear (the original name cannot be verified). About 70 years ago, You Hongshun migrated from Sichuan to Maizhuang Village, Jiuzhou Township, Yunlong County, Yunnan Province. He brought scions which he grafted onto a wild Pyrus pashia Buch.-Ham. tree at the corner of his house, creating the parent tree for propagation. The original canopy of the parent tree has died, and the current one regenerated from a water sprout that grew from a hollow main trunk about 1 meter above the ground. The current tree stands at an altitude of 1,720 meters, is 10 meters tall, with a crown width of 8 meters and a trunk height of 2 meters. It has moderate vigor, medium branch density, and yields 400–500 kg of pears per year. Later, through years of discovery and selection by agricultural science and technology workers in Yunlong County, Dali Prefecture, it was successfully cultivated as one of the late-maturing, high-quality, locally distinctive fruit varieties. III. The Development History of the Maidiwan Pear Industry According to the 1992 edition of the local chronicles series “Yunlong County Annals,” published by the People’s Republic of China, on page 176, line 4, there are 16 local pear varieties, among which Shuijing Maidiwan Pear, Caojian Black Core Pear, and Dagongchang Fragrant Pear are considered premium. In 1989, the cultivation area was 4,543 mu, with a total yield of 1.0303 million kilograms. Page 463, line 17, records a survey on high-quality, late-maturing fragrant pears: The Maidiwan Pears (also called Maizhuang Pear) from Shuijing Village, Jiuzhou Township, and the Dagongchang Pear (also called Yizhu Pear), known for their quality and late maturation, can be preserved until the next spring. They are among the few high-quality, late-maturing fragrant pear varieties in Yunnan. After investigation, identification, and promotion, by 1989, 28,000 grafted trees had been planted, paving the way for developing local specialty products. According to the 1996 “Yunlong County Forestry Annals,” there is a photo of senior engineers Zhang Xingwang (center) from the Scientific Research Department of Yunnan Agricultural University and Wang Changjin (left) from the Dali Prefecture Economic and Fruit Station inspecting high-quality pears in Yunlong (photo by Zhang Zhao). On page 60, line 17, it states: Among fruits, there are many varieties, mainly including pears, apples, persimmons, plums, and citrus. There are 16 types of pears, primarily including Maidiwan Pear, Dagongchang Pear, Snow Pear, Caojian Black Core Pear, Large Yellow Skin Pear, Torch Pear, Human Head Pear, Maipi Pear, and Datang Pear. Among them, the Maidiwan Yellow Skin Pear (ultra-late maturing) from Shuijing Village, Jiuzhou Township, is of the highest quality, with an annual yield of about 150,000 kilograms. On page 71, line 2, it states: Pear: A tree species, 10–15 meters tall, commonly cultivated below 2,500 meters altitude. Among the county’s 16 pear varieties, Maidiwan Pear is of the best quality, characterized by: ① Brown-yellow skin with red blush, flat-round and well-shaped, thin skin, small core, crisp flesh, dense, sweet, and juicy flavor. Soluble solids content is 13%–17%, total sugar 7.88% (converted into syrup), total acid 0.33%, Vitamin C 2.2 mg/100g. Large fruits weigh 400–800 grams, medium fruits 250–350 grams. Average single-tree yield is 400–600 kilograms, with a maximum of 1,500 kilograms. Harvested from Frost’s Descent to Light Snow, they remain juicy, sweet, crisp, and flavorful until March of the following year. ② Strong tree vigor, budding in early March, flowering in mid-March, with a flowering period of about 20 days. Flowers can still be normally pollinated even in heavy frost. Suitable for cultivation in humid, cool mountain valleys and river areas at altitudes of 1,800–2,650 meters. Trees begin bearing fruit three years after grafting and reach peak production after 10 years. Even trees over 70 years old continue to sprout new branches and bear abundant fruit, with even distribution across the tree. The wood has straight grain, fine and uniform texture, making it suitable for quality tools and carving. According to the 1995 “Yunlong Yearbook,” on page 93, line 16: [Successful Pollination Experiment for Maidiwan Pears]: Since 1992, to explore the pollination and fruit-setting patterns of Maidiwan Pears, technical personnel from the county forestry station’s economic fruit division and the Fruit Tree Research Institute of Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences jointly undertook an experimental project. Experiments and follow-up observations concluded that the self-pollination fruit-setting rate of Maidiwan Pear is zero. Varieties such as Dangshan Su, Jinhua, Xuehua, Dagongchang, and Fuyuan Yellow Pear show higher fruit-setting rates when used as pollinators. The recommended ratio of main cultivar to pollinator is 5:1. Existing pure Maidiwan Pear orchards in the county should replace a proportion of trees with one of the aforementioned pollinator varieties to achieve fruitful and abundant harvests. On page 338, line 14: [Initial Success in Premium Packaging of Maidiwan Pears]: Maidiwan Pear is a unique, high-quality, late-maturing pear in the county with strong market potential. In early 2000, after the County Science and Technology Commission accepted the “Maidiwan Pear” brand development project, it organized human and material resources to focus on the task. Within the year, packaging design, printing, and boxing were completed. The first batch of 1,500 units hit the market and was widely welcomed by consumers, resulting in high demand and significant economic returns.

　　Maidiwan Pears from Yunlong are a local premium variety. After years of quality improvement and integrated technology, they have recently been certified as green food and as a “late-maturing, high-quality pear variety unique to Yunnan Province.” With the demonstration and promotion by the Tianchi Orchard in Yunlong, the total cultivation area in the county has reached over 35,000 mu. The Tianchi Orchard alone covers a demonstration area of 1,200 mu, producing over 2,000 tons of pears annually. In 2013, the orchard’s output value is expected to exceed 4 million yuan, while also promoting the development of 4,700 mu through related associations.

　　In 2014, the “Maidiwan Pear” application submitted by the Yunlong County Horticulture Workstation passed the review of the Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and expert evaluation, and was officially registered and protected as a National Agricultural Product Geographic Indication.

　　Geographic Scope

　　Maidiwan Pears are produced within Yunlong County in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, covering 11 townships: Nuodeng Town, Gongguoqiao Town, Caojian Town, Baishi Town, Baofeng Township, Miaowei Township, Jiancao Township, Changxin Township, Guanping Township, Tuanjie Township, and Minjian Township. The geographic coordinates are between 98°52′ to 99°46′ east longitude and 25°28′ to 26°23′ north latitude. The region stretches 109 kilometers from north to south and 91.8 kilometers from east to west, with a planting area of 6,700 hectares and an annual output of 150,000 tons.