Yangguang Jujube is an excellent variety among fresh-eating jujubes.

Excellent fresh-eating jujube variety -- Yangguang Jujube

Yangguang Jujube is a new fresh-eating jujube variety discovered in the mid-1980s by the Forestry Bureau of Yuncheng County, Shandong Province, in Wujieshou Township of that county, and local people called it Changzao. Through 10 years of continuous transfer and propagation 8 times, the comprehensive traits of each generation remained stable. In 2001 it passed appraisal and was named Yangguang Jujube. At present this variety has been extended to 166 hm2.

The tree posture is open, the mature tree height is 4.5 m, and the crown diameter is 3.5 m. The bark is dark reddish brown, with fine strip cracks, and peels off relatively easily. The jujube shoot is reddish brown, the branch texture is relatively soft, and it bears 4-5 secondary branches. The jujube spur is short-columnar; in the young stage it produces 1-3 bearing shoots, and in the vigorous stage it produces 3-5. The bearing shoot is 14.5-17.4 cm long, the internode is 1.4-2.2 cm long, and it bears 8-12 leaves. The leaves are broad and large, broadly ovate or short elliptical, thick in texture, nearly leathery, dark green, and glossy. The flower quantity is medium to abundant.

The fruit is extra large, nearly short-cylindrical, with an average single-fruit weight of 27.5 g and a large-fruit weight of 35 g, uniform in size and shape. The fruit shoulder and fruit apex are broadly round and flat, without grooves or ridges. The fruit surface is smooth, and after coloring and ripening it is reddish brown, bright and vivid. The stem cavity is medium deep, and the apex cavity is shallow and wide. The fruit stalk is 0.34-0.82 cm long. The fruit skin is thin, the flesh is thick, light green, fine and crisp without residue, with a medium amount of juice, extremely sweet with slight acidity, and a strong rock-sugar flavor. At the crisp-ripe stage, the fully red fruit contains 36%-38% soluble solids, the edible rate is 97%, and the fresh-eating quality is superior. The stone is spindle-shaped, with an average stone weight of 0.8 g, and the stone

It has strong adaptability, resistance to wind, resistance to ring rot and anthracnose, and resistance to fruit cracking. The fruiting age is early; grafted seedlings bear fruit in the same year after planting, and after 2-3 years they form economic yield, with an average of 1.6 fruits per bearing shoot.

In Yuncheng County in southwestern Shandong, buds sprout in early April, leaves unfold in mid-April, full bloom occurs in mid-to-late May, fruit colors and ripens in mid-to-late September, and some late flowers and fruits still mature successively in early October. The fruit development period is 110-120 days.

This variety has strong adaptability, early fruiting, and high yield. It is a late-ripening fresh-eating variety with excellent quality, and can be developed and extended for commercial cultivation.