Introduction to the Extra-Late Ripening Peach New Line 'Jiuyue Hongcui'

'Jiuyue Hongcui' (tentative name) is an extra-late ripening new peach line discovered in 2005 by the Luoyang Institute of Landscape Science in Henan Province during a survey of fruit tree resources.

(1) Botanical characteristics: The tree habit is semi-spreading; one-year-old branches are dark red on the sunny side and green on the shaded side. New shoots are light green with a red blush on the sunny side. Leaves are green, relatively large, with a flat blade, a light green midrib, and rounded-obtuse serrations along the margin. Flower buds are plump and conical; the corolla is pink, and pollen production is abundant.

(2) Main fruit traits: The fruit is nearly round, with an average single-fruit weight of 360.0 g and a maximum single-fruit weight of 750.0 g. The ground color of the skin is yellow-green, overlaid with rose red; the fuzz is sparse and short, and the fruit apex is slightly protruding. The fruit stalk is relatively short, and the stalk cavity is narrow and moderately deep. The two sides are symmetrical, and the suture line is shallow but distinct. The pit is free (clings to the flesh?) — no, the pit is free from the flesh; the flesh is greenish-white, fine and crisp in texture, with a slight aroma, few fibers, and a sweet flavor. The soluble solids content is 14.00%-15.00%, and the edible rate is 96%. It is tolerant of storage and transport, can be kept for 7-10 days at room temperature, and does not crack.

(3) Growth and fruiting habits: The growth vigor is robust, the germination rate is high, the branching ability is strong, and the branches are thick and sturdy. The average length of new shoots is 65.0 cm, and the distribution of long, medium, and short fruiting branches is relatively reasonable. It flowers easily; long, medium, and short fruiting branches account for 40.00%, 22.00%, and 38.00%, respectively. The starting node of flower buds is low, and there are many compound flower buds. After planting, the average yield per tree is 7.5 kg in the second year and 40 kg and 60 kg in the third and fourth years, respectively; physiological fruit drop and pre-harvest drop are relatively light. The natural fruit-setting rate is relatively high, and it sets fruit parthenocarpically. A small number of pollinizer trees may be planted.

(4) Phenological period: In the Luoyang area of Henan Province, buds break in mid-to-late March, the first flowers open from late March to early April, full bloom occurs in early April, leaves unfold in mid-April, and the fruit can be harvested in mid-September. The fruit development period is about 165 days, and leaves fall in mid-to-late November.