Apricot kernel cultivar Weixuan No. 1 is suitable for cultivation in cold regions

Weixuan No. 1 apricot kernel was bred by the Forestry Bureau of Weichang County and approved by the Hebei Provincial Forest Tree Improved Variety Approval Committee in 2007.

1. Cultivar characteristics. The tree has a relatively strong central leader, an open tree posture, and a natural round-headed tree shape. The branches have strong sprouting ability, and fruiting is mainly on short fruit spurs, though axillary flower buds can also bear fruit. Generally, it flowers and bears fruit 3 years after planting; a 5-year-old tree produces 25 kg of fruit per tree and 7.5 kg of kernels per tree, and enters full bearing period at 7-8 years. The fruit averages 13.6 g in weight (when the skin is green), is broadly ovate, with a greenish-yellow ground color and red on the sunny side. The flesh is light yellow, mealy in texture, sour in taste, and high in crude fiber; the flesh is suitable for processing. The stone is free from the flesh, broadly ovate, with a stone length-to-width ratio of 1.4:1 and an average single-stone weight of 2.6 g. The kernel is plump, with an average single-kernel weight of 0.93 g and a kernel yield of 35.7%. The kernel skin is brownish-yellow, and the kernel meat is milky white, sweet, fragrant and crisp in taste, with a slight bitterness; the almond can be used both for eating and for medicinal purposes. It has relatively strong cold resistance during the flowering period and strong resistance to apricot shot-hole disease.

2. Cultivation key points. Propagate by grafting with bitter apricot seedling as rootstock. Establish with a row spacing of 3 m x 4 m or 3 m x 3 m. The main tree shapes are the natural round-headed shape and the open-center tiered shape. When training and pruning young trees, select and retain the main branches and lateral branches of each tier year by year to build the framework; branches other than the main and lateral branches are treated as auxiliary branches, and are headed back or left unpruned to gradually develop into fruiting branch groups year by year; for trees in the early fruiting stage, continue to head back the extension shoots of each scaffold branch to expand the canopy, pay attention to opening the branch angles, and control auxiliary branches; for trees in the full bearing stage, maintain a moderate and vigorous tree vigor, keep the annual growth of new shoots on the outer part of the scaffold branches at about 30 cm, and combine heading, leaving unpruned, renewal pruning and thinning.

3. Suitable planting range. The area below the dam in Weichang County, Hebei Province, and areas with similar ecological conditions.