Wangmu Red Immortal Peach is a new, high-quality, extremely late-maturing peach variety

Wangmu Red Immortal Peach, also known as Golden-Beak Immortal Peach, is an extremely late-maturing, high-quality new peach variety in China. Its main characteristics are: late maturity, large fruit, red color, sweet flavor, good storage tolerance, good shipping tolerance, and relatively high economic value. It is a very promising extremely late-maturing, high-quality variety.

I. Botanical characteristics

The tree is vigorous and upright in habit. The trunk and perennial branches are white and smooth. One-year-old branches are reddish brown with short internodes, averaging 1.53 cm. The vigorous growth period of new shoots is from mid-May to mid-June, and the vigorous growth period of secondary shoots is from July to August. Secondary branches grow most strongly and also produce the greatest growth. The leaves are thick and normally green, with yellow-green veins, 15 cm long and 3.2-3.5 cm wide, with acuminate tips and petioles 0.8 cm long. Flower buds are relatively small, flowers are large, anthers are yellow-purple, pollen is abundant, and the flowers are pink at first bloom and gradually become deep red later.

II. Biological characteristics

1. Growth and fruiting habits

This variety has a moderate sprouting rate and strong branching ability. Young trees grow vigorously each year and form a canopy quickly. There are 2-3 rounds of secondary shoots per year, and the average internode length is 1.53 cm, showing a slight spur-type tendency. After entering the fruiting stage, the tree becomes moderate in vigor and stable in growth. In 4-year-old trees, long fruiting branches account for 56.5%, medium fruiting branches 21.3%, short fruiting branches 16.6%, and bouquet fruiting branches 5.6%. Flower formation is easy, and flower buds are borne at low nodes, generally starting from the second node at the base of the branch, with normal flower development. It is self-pollinating, and the self-fruit set rate can reach 46.8, so no pollinizer trees need to be planted when establishing an orchard.

2. Economic traits of the fruit

The fruit is nearly round, with the fruit tip slightly protruding and the fruit tip bright yellow-white, and purplish red near the pit, hence it is also called Golden-Beak Immortal Peach. The suture line is obvious and moderately deep, and the two halves are relatively symmetrical. The average single fruit weight is 350 g, and the largest fruit weighs 1350 g. The background color of the fruit surface is light yellow, and after ripening the color is bright red, with the colored area reaching more than 75%. The fruit surface is smooth, and the fuzz is very short and sparse. The flesh is yellow-white, purplish red near the pit, crisp and fine, sweet, with a rich flavor and a slight aroma, and semi-clinging to the pit. It contains 18-21% soluble solids. After bagging, the sugar content of the fruit is 20-22%. It is tolerant of storage and shipping and can be stored at room temperature for about nearly 100 days.

3. Fruit yield performance

When one-year-old finished seedlings are planted, the fruiting plant rate in the second year is 100%. Two-year-old trees average 260 flowers per tree and an average yield of 4.8 kg per tree. Three-year-old trees average 465 flowers and an average yield of 27.6 kg per tree. Four-year-old trees average 1468 flowers per tree and an average yield of 56.3 kg per tree, equivalent to 2500 kg per 666.7 sq m.

4. Adaptability

Judging from fruiting orchards, Wangmu Red Immortal Peach has strong adaptability and strong drought and poor-soil tolerance, and can achieve high yields when cultivated on plains and hilly mountainous land.

5. Phenological period

Flower buds begin to swell in mid-March, and leaf buds begin to swell in late March. The flowering period is in mid-April and lasts about 10 days. The initial growth period of new shoots is from early May to the end of mid-May, and the vigorous growth period of new shoots is from mid-May to early June. The first fruit enlargement period is from late August to late October. The fruit development period is about 180 days, making it an extremely late-maturing variety. The leaf-fall period is in mid-to-late November.

III. Key points of cultivation techniques

1. Orchard establishment

Planting density: 3*4 m is suitable for plains, and 2.5-3*3 m is suitable for hilly areas. The trunk height should be set at 25-30 cm, and the natural open-center tree form is suitable.

2. Fruit thinning

This variety has a large number of flowers and a high fruit set rate, and the fruit does not grow large under natural conditions, so fruit thinning is necessary. The first fruit thinning is in late May, and the second fruit thinning is in early June. This second thinning is also called "final fruit setting." Generally, 2-3 fruits are retained on long fruiting branches, 1-2 fruits on medium fruiting branches, and 1 fruit on short fruiting branches.

3. Bagging and leaf removal

This is carried out in late June. Using double-layer paper bags gives a better effect. Removing the bags all at once 2 weeks before harvest can effectively avoid fruit cracking, and the fruit color is bright red and attractive, with fine, smooth skin. After removing the bags, remove leaves by taking off the leaves pressed against the fruit and leaves that block light, so as to promote even coloring of the fruit surface.