Detailed Explanation of the Morphological Characteristics and Cultivation Techniques of Black Pearl Cherry
Black Pearl Cherry is a bud-sport superior cherry selected from Chinese cherry through breeding. It is a premium fruit on the market and has excellent commercial value. So what morphological characteristics does Black Pearl Cherry have? What cultivation techniques does Black Pearl Cherry require? Let's take a look below.
I. What are the morphological characteristics of Black Pearl Cherry?
The fruit is large, with an average fruit weight of 4.5 grams. The fruit shape is nearly round, with a nipple-shaped apex. The skin is medium thick, the waxy layer is medium thick, the ground color is red, the fruit surface is purplish red, and when fully ripe it turns purplish black, with a glossy appearance like a pearl. The flesh is orange-yellow, soft in texture, with medium juice content, soluble solids content 22.6%, sugar 17.4%, acid 1.3%, rich and sweet flavor, medium aroma, and extremely high quality. Semi-clinging stone, edible rate 90.3%. In the Chongqing area, it sprouts from late January to early February, blooms in mid-to-late February, the fruit ripens in mid-to-late April, and leaves fall in late November.
II. What cultivation techniques does Black Pearl Cherry require?
Orchard establishment
1. Site selection and soil improvement.
Black Pearl Cherry prefers sunlight, is not tolerant of waterlogging and not drought-resistant. It is best to choose sloping land with good sunlight, good drainage and relatively deep soil for orchard establishment, with sandy loam soil of pH 6-7 being optimal. If establishing an orchard on flat land or clay soil, attention should be paid to ditching for drainage and soil improvement. One month before planting, trenches 80-100 cm wide and 60-80 cm deep can be opened according to the planting rows for soil improvement, with layers of weeds, crop straw, phosphate fertilizer, pig and chicken manure water, etc. pressed in. Alternatively, planting can be done first at the designed density, and then the planting holes can be expanded year by year for soil improvement.
2. Seedling planting and density.
Planting can be done from September each year to February of the following year, but planting during the mild weather of October to November is optimal. Using dwarf close planting, the plant and row spacing is 1.5 m × 3.0 m (150 plants per mu). Black Pearl Cherry has a high self-fruit-setting rate and does not require pollinator trees. However, to obtain more reliable yields, pollinator trees can be planted at a ratio of 1:8, with Dahongpao cherry currently being the main pollinating variety. When planting, the settling water should be sufficient and thoroughly watered. After it has all seeped in, sprinkle a layer of fine soil on the tree plate, and finally cover the tree plate within a diameter of 1.0 m with weeds (2-5 cm thick) to maintain soil moisture.
Soil, fertilizer and water management
1. Fertilizer and water management for young orchards (1-2 years after planting).
Black Pearl Cherry young trees grow quickly and are very easy to flower. In order to bear fruit early and achieve high yield, fertilizer and water management should be strengthened in the year of planting so that a high-yielding canopy forms quickly and growth stops before July, so as to complete flower bud differentiation as soon as possible. In the year of planting, when new shoots grow to 2 cm, apply the first fertilizer, with 15 g urea, 10 g monoammonium phosphate (or 20 g superphosphate), and 5 kg pig manure water per plant. After that, topdress 1-2 times per month, gradually increasing the amount of fertilizer as the canopy expands. Stop topdressing after mid-June and control water to control vegetative growth and promote flower bud differentiation. Apply base fertilizer once in early September, with 20 kg human and animal manure water and 250 g superphosphate per plant. In the second year, the close-planted orchard already has considerable yield, so potassium fertilizer should be increased. Apply fertilizer 3 times per year: the first is the sprouting fertilizer in early February, with 100-150 g urea, 50 g potassium sulfate, and 10 kg pig manure water per plant; the second is the post-harvest fertilizer in early May, with 150 g urea and 20 kg human and animal manure water per plant; the third is the base fertilizer in mid-to-late September, with 20 kg human and animal manure water and 500 g superphosphate per plant.
2. Fertilizer and water management for high-yield orchards.
Close-planted orchards enter the high-yield period in the third year, and the amount of nitrogen fertilizer should be appropriately controlled while increasing phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Apply fertilizer 3 times per year: the first is the sprouting fertilizer in late January, applying potassium fertilizer all at once to facilitate fruit absorption and expansion, along with nitrogen fertilizer, with 3600 kg pig manure water, 40 kg urea, and 30 kg potassium sulfate per 667 sq m; the second is the post-harvest fertilizer in early May to restore tree vigor and provide nutrients for flower bud differentiation, mainly nitrogen, with 4400 kg pig manure water and 30 kg urea; the third is the base fertilizer in late September, mainly organic fertilizer and phosphate fertilizer, to accumulate nutrients for the next year's growth, with 5000 kg pig and chicken manure water and 80 kg superphosphate.
3. Orchard tillage and water management.
The orchard should be cultivated once each winter, and weeds between rows should be controlled with herbicide 2-3 times from March to October each year. From March to April, cover the tree plates and between rows with weeds or crop straw. During 5 consecutive days of drought, appropriate irrigation should be given to keep the soil moist and reduce fruit cracking. In September, combine fertilization with expanding holes for soil improvement, pressing in organic matter such as weeds from the orchard. From May to August, pay attention to ditching and drainage to reduce soil moisture, so as to promote flower bud differentiation and control the canopy.
Training and pruning
1. Training.
Because it is a light-loving tree species, close-planted orchards are best trained in a small-crown delayed-open center shape, taking 2-3 years to form. The training method is as follows: in the year of planting, leave 40-60 cm to set the trunk height, select one strong upright branch as the central leader, select another 4 branches as the first tier of main branches, and select 2-4 branches as auxiliary branches. When main branches reach 30 cm, pinch the tips to promote branching, and select and retain extension branches. In early July, adjust the angle of the main branches so that they form a 70-80 degree angle with the trunk. Auxiliary branches are pinched at 15-20 cm to promote branching, and in early May the angle is adjusted so that they grow horizontally and form bouquet-like short fruit branches. From July to August, combine chemical growth regulation and water control measures to promote flower bud differentiation. During spring pruning in the second year, shorten the central leader by leaving 60 cm to cultivate the second tier of lateral branches, and cultivate 3 main branches and 2 auxiliary branches in the same way. In the third year, cultivate the third tier of main branches in the same way, leaving 2 main branches. The tree takes shape in 3 years, with tree height controlled between 2-2.5 m.
2. Pruning.
During the young tree period, summer pruning is the main approach. Summer pinching and bending of vigorous branches can be used to promote branching and form medium and short branches. In winter pruning, long leaving is mainly used to promote more bouquet-like fruit branches. For high-yield trees, winter pruning is the main approach, using thinning and renewal pruning to improve light and ventilation conditions in the tree body, achieving sparse outside but not sparse inside, and three-dimensional fruiting. Short pruning is used to renew weakened branches, and aging large branches are cut back. At the same time, branches extending toward the rows are cut back so that an 80 cm ventilation and light-transmitting band is maintained between rows. Internal water sprouts should be appropriately retained according to circumstances, and in summer twisting and pinching should be carried out to cultivate renewal branches. In addition, cherry buds are solitary, so when pruning by shortening, a leaf bud must be selected as the cut bud.
Flower and fruit management
1. Canopy control and flower promotion. Canopy control and flower promotion are the key to the success of close-planted orchards. Chemical and agricultural techniques can be used from May to August. Common methods include: spraying 300 times 15% paclobutrazol in early May, and controlling fertilizer and water, opening ditches for drainage, and keeping the orchard appropriately dry; from June to August, opening the angle of upright branches and pinching tips, etc.
2. Flower and fruit retention and fruit thinning. Methods for retaining flowers and fruits include: appropriately planting pollinating varieties, placing bees during the flowering period, and spraying a mixture of 0.1% borax + 0.2% urea + 0.1% monopotassium phosphate 1-2 times. Fruit thinning can be carried out after the first physiological fruit drop in late March, mainly removing insect-damaged fruit, diseased fruit and deformed fruit, etc.
3. Preventing fruit cracking and pre-harvest fruit drop. Fruit cracking and pre-harvest fruit drop are the main reasons for low cherry yields in southern regions. Black Pearl Cherry still has slight fruit cracking and pre-harvest fruit drop in years with uneven rainfall. Measures such as irrigation during drought, covering tree plates and between rows with grass, spraying phosphorus and potassium during the fruit expansion period, and increasing potassium fertilizer in early spring can be used for prevention.
Pest and disease control
1. Disease control
The main diseases of Black Pearl Cherry include leaf spot, shot hole disease, gummosis and brown rot, etc. Leaf spot and shot hole disease mainly damage leaves and mostly occur from March to August. They can be prevented by spraying 3-5 degrees Baume lime sulfur mixture once in winter. During the disease season, use 800 times 50% carbendazim or 70% thiophanate-methyl for control; gummosis damages the trunk and main branches. It can be prevented in winter by scraping off the diseased spots combined with orchard sanitation, and in the growing season by scraping off the spots and applying lime sulfur residue for protection; brown rot damages the fruit. In addition to winter orchard sanitation, it can be controlled by spraying 1000 times 50% procymidone or 800 times 70% thiophanate-methyl once before flower drop.
2. Pest control
The main pests include the peach fruit moth, peach tuber aphid, white peach scale, and oriental moth, etc. Pesticides such as fenvalerate, imidacloprid, methidathion, and fenpropathrin can be used for control respectively.
In the process of cultivating Black Pearl Cherry, careful management must be carried out, and pest and disease control must also be in place. Only in this way can the quality and yield of Black Pearl Cherry both be improved.