New yellow peach cultivar Golden Crown suitable for canning and fresh eating
'Golden Crown' (see color photo on inside back cover) is a superior yellow peach line for both canning and fresh eating, selected by the authors in the 1990s from naturally cross-pollinated seedling progeny of 'Jinxiu' yellow peach. After years of multi-site regional trials and production test plantings in Shandong and Jiangsu, its traits are stable and its overall performance is excellent. In September 2006, it passed expert appraisal organized by the Shandong Provincial Science and Technology Department.
Cultivar characteristics
The tree has an open posture and vigorous growth, with strong bud-break and branching ability. One-year-old branches are yellow-green, with a reddish tinge on the sunny side near the base; after entering the fruiting stage, current-year branches naturally grow slanting and drooping. A 4-year-old tree is 2.41 m tall, with a canopy diameter of 2.77 m x 2.38 m and a trunk circumference of 25.5 cm. Leaves are medium-large, dark green, obovate-lanceolate. Flower buds start at a low node position, and self-pollination fruit set rate is high. The corolla is large, 3.23-3.64 cm in diameter, light pink or nearly pinkish white; mature anthers are yellow-brown, with abundant pollen. The fruit is medium-large and uniform, averaging 167 g per fruit, with a maximum of 245 g; it is nearly round, with a round and flat fruit apex, a deep and medium-wide stalk cavity, and a shallow suture. The skin is golden yellow, without red blush, and attractive in appearance. The flesh is yellow, non-melting, does not brown, has a strong aroma, and the fruit resists compression and stores and ships well; the stone is small, yellow-brown, averaging 4.1 g, clingstone, with no red pigment near the stone; the canning processing utilization rate is 82.7%; soluble solids 13.8%, total sugars 9.75%, titratable acidity 0.67%; for fresh eating it is sweet-tart and palatable, with a rich apricot-like fragrance and excellent quality. The harvest period for canning processing is long (July 25 to August 10). Its overall traits for canning processing are good, with a rich aroma. It is drought-resistant, tolerant of poor soil, and highly resistant to bacterial shot hole disease. Under ordinary management conditions, it reaches high yield 3-4 years after planting, and yield at full fruiting stage can reach more than 45000 kg/hm2. In the central-southern Shandong region, buds break from March 12-20, full bloom occurs from April 10-15, fruit ripens in late July to early August, and the fruit development period is 100-110 d.
Key cultivation techniques
It is suitable for close planting in provinces and regions around Shandong. In mountainous and hilly areas, the spacing is 2 m x 3-4 m; on plains and fertile orchard land, 2.5-3 m x 4 m. Use the natural open-center form. Pruning should mainly combine thinning with leaving shoots, and after fruiting, cut back for renewal. Strengthen flower and fruit thinning to increase single-fruit weight. Apply organic fertilizer in September and October in autumn, apply topdressing once each before flowering, during fruit enlargement, and after harvest, and water in a timely manner according to soil moisture conditions, while also carrying out pest and disease control well.