What apricot varieties are there? A detailed explanation of apricot tree cultivation characteristics

There are 10 species of Prunus (apricot genus) plants worldwide, and China is home to 9 of them: common apricot, Siberian apricot, Liaoning apricot, Tibetan apricot, purple apricot, Zhidan apricot, plum apricot, Zhenghe apricot and Li Mei apricot. Among them, the 4 species common apricot, Siberian apricot, Liaoning apricot and plum apricot contain many varieties and types, and common apricot is the most widely cultivated species in the world.

Variety classification

Fresh-eating varieties: an excellent fresh-eating variety should have large fruit, an attractive and brilliant appearance, thick and juicy flesh, fine fibers, a pleasant sweet-sour taste, and a rich aroma.

Processing varieties: excellent varieties for making preserved fruit, canned fruit and dried fruit should have medium-sized fruit, yellow or orange-yellow flesh, uniform flesh color, little juice, firm and dense flesh, few and fine fibers, high acid content, and a free stone. Excellent varieties for making jam should have high pectin and fruit acid content, and yellow, orange-yellow or white flesh. Excellent varieties for making juice should have abundant juice, a high juice yield, yellow, orange-yellow or white flesh, and be unsuitable for browning.

Dual-purpose fresh-eating and processing varieties: most varieties in China belong to this category. Their characteristics are high sugar content, moderate juice, thick flesh, a pleasant sweet-sour taste and aroma; they can be both processed and eaten fresh.

Kernel-use varieties: an excellent kernel-use variety should have large, plump, sweet kernels rich in fat, protein and various other nutrients, and a high kernel yield.

Dual-purpose kernel and drying varieties: these varieties have small fruit, thick flesh, high sugar content, a free stone, and large, sweet, fragrant kernels; they can be both dried and used for their kernels. Cultivation characteristics

Apricot trees have strong adaptability to soil and terrain; they are mostly planted on hillside terraces and hilly land, and can grow normally even on high mountains at 800-1000 m. They can grow in loam, clay, slightly acidic soil, alkaline soil, and even in rock crevices. Apricot trees are fairly cold-tolerant and can withstand -30°C or even lower temperatures; they are also heat-tolerant, and can still grow and bear fruit normally with good quality at a maximum summer temperature of 43.4°C. Apricot trees are not tolerant of waterlogging; if water stands on the ground for 3 days, the roots will rot and the tree will die. In places where stone-fruit trees such as apricot, peach, plum and cherry have been grown, an apricot orchard must not be established again, otherwise replant disease is likely to occur, causing poor tree development and poor quality in mild cases, or tree death and failure of orchard establishment in severe cases. Most apricot varieties are self-sterile or have a very low self-fruit-setting rate, so pollinizer trees must be arranged to obtain high and stable yields. Under normal conditions, the ratio of the main cultivar to the pollinizer cultivar is 3:1 to 4:1. Apricot tree propagation mainly uses grafting; the commonly used rootstock is mountain apricot, namely Siberian apricot, which is widely distributed in North China, Northeast China and Northwest China. It is cold-resistant and drought-resistant, has strong compatibility with apricot, can improve the apricot tree's drought and cold resistance, and also has a dwarfing effect. Using common apricot as rootstock results in a tall tree with thick branches and a slightly later start of fruiting and entry into the fruiting period, but a long lifespan. In some areas, mountain peach, plum, plum apricot, etc. are used as rootstock, but most of these rootstocks have weak compatibility with apricot, resulting in a low survival rate of apricot trees. The planting density of apricot trees should be determined according to the variety, soil fertility, management level, etc. Generally, for fresh-eating varieties, a spacing of 2 m x 4 m to 3 m x 5 m between plants and rows is more suitable, with 40-80 trees per mu. For kernel-use varieties, a spacing of 2 m x 3 m to 3 m x 4 m is appropriate, with 55-110 trees per mu. For processing varieties, a density between the two can be used.