Jingwei Fresh Jujubes

Jingwei Fresh Jujubes

　　The Jingwei Jujube Tree Research Institute in Gaoling County, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, based on the market principle of “scarcity breeds value” and the social demand for “everyone talking about dietary therapy and seeking health,” has adopted a business strategy of “offering what others don’t, and excelling where others do.” Through extensive comparative research and trials on fresh jujube varieties cultivated in major jujube-growing regions across the country, they have successfully developed and cultivated the distinctive and rare Jingwei series of large-fruited, fresh-eating, dwarf jujube varieties that ripen one month earlier or one month later than common jujube varieties.

　　In recent years, the leading varieties promoted to more than 20 provinces (regions) across the country mainly include the dwarf, ultra-early-ripening “Jingwei Fresh Jujube” and the extremely late-ripening, highly storable “Jingwei Snow Jujube.” Their main characteristics are as follows:

　　First, wide adaptability and strong versatility. These jujubes can be planted in vast areas south of 43 degrees north latitude in China, where the extreme minimum temperature does not fall below minus 30°C, the frost-free period is no less than 120 days, and the altitude does not exceed 2,000 meters. They demonstrate strong overall stress resistance regardless of soil type—whether sandy, loamy, clayey, weakly alkaline, or weakly acidic. Planting in fields with deep soil layers, loose texture, good drainage and permeability, high fertility, and good irrigation and drainage conditions further enhances their potential for early fruiting and early yield, resulting in superior appearance and internal quality of the jujube fruits.

　　Second, out-of-season market availability with outstanding competitive advantages. The ultra-early-ripening variety, Jingwei Fresh Jujube, features large fruits, a dwarf growth habit, ultra-early ripening, and strong comprehensive stress resistance. It enters the white-mature stage in late July, begins reddening in mid-August, offering honey-sweet, juicy, and crisp fruits. It ripens about half a month earlier than the traditional “June Fresh” variety and reaches full maturity in late August. It hits the market over 30 days ahead of other varieties such as Li Jujube, Nanyang Dawang Jujube, Sihong Jujube, Dabailing, Dagua Jujube, and Tongbai Jujube. The fruits are exceptionally large, typically weighing around 27 grams each, with the largest exceeding 70 grams. The jujube pits are small, the flesh is thick, and the edible rate exceeds 97%. The fruits are long-cylindrical in shape, glossy and bright during the white-mature stage, and strikingly red and eye-catching when ripe, being sweet, crisp, and juicy. They also exhibit strong early fruiting and early yield potential.

　　The institute successfully conducted promotion trials in Jiuquan and Jiayuguan in the northwest, regions where jujube trees have never been traditionally cultivated, under extremely short frost-free periods of 120–150 days, demonstrating the variety’s remarkable adaptability. When planted in the Yangtze River Basin and areas further south, the natural advantage of an earlier growing season for jujube trees allows the fresh jujubes to hit the market approximately one month earlier. Jingwei Fresh Jujube is the only large-fruited fresh jujube available in the fruit market in late July and early August. The extremely late-ripening variety, “Jingwei Snow Jujube,” is currently China’s most resilient variety in terms of disease resistance, pest resistance, cold resistance, and overall stress tolerance. It is an extremely late-ripening, highly storable, broad-temperature-range, large-fruited, dwarf variety. It flowers and bears fruit in mid-to-late May, begins reddening in late October, reaches full maturity in mid-November (about half a month later than the Dongzao jujubes of Zhanhua and Wudi in Shandong), and sheds leaves in late November. The fruits are very large, slightly oblate in shape, typically weighing over 30 grams each, with the largest exceeding 80 grams. The pits are small, the growth period is long, the flesh is dense and rich, and the nutritional value is high. The fruit skin has a relatively thick cuticle layer, making it highly resistant to storage and transport. When ripe and red, the fruits exhibit a bright and glossy color with a crisp, sweet taste. They show outstanding early fruiting and early yield characteristics. Their ripening period is after Frost’s Descent, avoiding the issues faced by common jujubes that typically ripen in September—such as high temperatures, difficulty in preservation, short market duration, and cracking or rotting due to rain. This ensures abundant and bountiful harvests. Harvesting near the onset of winter allows for over a month of ambient-temperature, traditional soil-method preservation at no additional cost. When using the institute’s new low-cost cold storage preservation technology, the storage period can be extended to after the Spring Festival. It is currently the only large-fruited fresh jujube in China with better size and color than the Dongzao jujubes of Zhanhua and Wudi in Shandong for out-of-season market availability.

　　Third, distinctive features and significant economic benefits. The Jingwei series of ultra-early and extremely late-ripening fresh jujubes avoid the common trait of most fresh jujubes being concentrated in the market in September, giving them the market advantage of “scarcity breeds value.” By increasing planting density reasonably, with 220–330 plants per mu, and adopting intensive dwarf high-yield cultivation techniques, early-stage (first four years) yield efficiency can be further enhanced. The intensive dwarf early-yield orchard of the ultra-early-ripening “Jingwei Fresh Jujube” uses modern scientific techniques for premium cultivation management. It can bear fruit in the same year of grafting or planting, yielding about 6 pounds per plant in the second year, up to over 10 pounds, and enters the high-yield period in three years, averaging over 10 pounds per plant. It is the only fresh jujube available on the market starting from late July, highly favored by merchants and customers, with prices driven up by scarcity. If grown in protected greenhouse facilities, it can be harvested 60 days earlier, multiplying the economic returns. The intensive dwarf early-yield orchard of the extremely late-ripening “Jingwei Snow Jujube” employs scientific premium cultivation and management techniques. It can bear fruit in the same year of grafting or planting, averaging over 6 pounds per plant in the second year, up to over 10 pounds, and enters the high-yield period in three years, averaging over 12 pounds per plant. The fruits are highly storable, and after cold storage preservation, they become even sweeter and crisper, with a brighter color. It is the only large-fruited fresh jujube available for out-of-season sale after Frost’s Descent. According to the institute’s survey of major fruit markets in cities such as Beijing on the eve of New Year’s Day 2002, only refrigerated and preserved Dongzao jujubes from Shandong’s Zhanhua and Wudi areas were on the market, with wholesale prices at 20–30 yuan per kilogram and retail prices at 40–60 yuan per kilogram in supermarkets. The refrigerated “Jingwei Snow Jujube,” whether in color or size, is superior to other types of winter jujubes, making its market price self-evident. With the advancement of modern technology and continuous expansion of domestic and international markets, the advantages of the premium-cultivated Jingwei series of fresh jujubes—including early and late market availability and filling market gaps—will demonstrate boundless charm and greater economic benefits, with even broader prospects for entering the international market.

　　Source: Xi’an Agricultural Information Network