Wonhwang Pear

Wonhwang Pear is a new mid-season pear variety bred by the Korean Horticultural Research Institute from a cross between Early Red (Hayatama-Aka) and Okusankichi (Late Sankichi). It is currently the best-quality variety among the main pear cultivars being promoted in Korea. It was introduced into China in 1998, and trial plantings in various regions have shown that this variety has large fruit, excellent quality, high yield, disease resistance and easy management, making it suitable for large-scale development as a premium fruit for export earnings. In recent years it has become a premium pear bestseller on the fruit markets of Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia.

This variety has strong tree vigor and bud-breaking ability, moderate branching ability, and semi-spreading, sturdy branches. It flowers easily, and the fruit-setting rate under natural pollination is relatively high. It bears fruit early with high and stable yields; generally it fruits in the second year after planting, and a 3-year-old tree can produce more than 25 kg, with a yield of 2000 kg per mu. The flower buds are plump, the pollen quantity is abundant, and it has strong compatibility with most varieties, making it both an excellent main cultivar and an outstanding pollinator variety. The fruit is large, with an average single fruit weight of about 500 g and a maximum fruit weight of over 1000 g. The fruit shape is oblate, the fruit surface is smooth and even, the fruit dots are small and sparse, with no russeting and no black spots, and the fruit color turns golden yellow when ripe. The flesh is transparent pure white, fine and juicy, with few stone cells, crisp and sweet and tasty, and with a peculiar fragrance; the soluble solids content is 15-16%. The fruit ripens from late August to early September, can be stored at room temperature for about 30 days, and at low temperature can be stored until after the Spring Festival. The unique feature of this variety is that after the fruit ripens, the orchard is filled with a rich, aromatic fragrance.

Wonhwang Pear has strong adaptability, is relatively drought-resistant and cold-resistant, tolerant of saline-alkali soil, and its disease resistance is comparable to that of Hosui, but its fruit shape and quality are superior to Hosui. It is easy to manage, and the fruit does not develop russeting after bagging. It is currently recognized as an ideal variety to replace Hosui and other mid-season pear varieties.