Detailed Explanation of the Main Cultivation Techniques for Longyuan Sweet Apricot

Longyuan Sweet Apricot is a new cold-resistant apricot variety bred by the Stone Fruit Research Laboratory of the Horticultural Branch of Heilongjiang Province using distant hybridization between plum and apricot. It has excellent traits such as late ripening, large fruit, and dwarfed tree body. The breeding of this variety not only extends the supply period of fresh apricot fruit in Heilongjiang Province and changes the current traditional cultivation method of apricots with large canopies and sparse planting, but will also promote the large-scale development of apricot production in Heilongjiang Province. At present, the new variety Longyuan Sweet Apricot has been promoted to Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, **, Hebei and other provinces (regions).

1 Variety characteristics and traits

The tree vigor is moderate, with strong sprouting ability and branching ability. The tree posture is semi-spreading, the tree shape is inverted conical, and the tree body is dwarfed. The plant is cold-resistant, drought-resistant, and tolerant of barren soil. It has low requirements for soil and strong adaptability. Flower buds sprout in early April, initial flowering occurs in early May, the flowering period is relatively late, and leaves fall in late October. It begins to bear fruit 3 to 4 years after planting, mainly fruiting on short fruit branches and bouquet-like fruit branches, with a high fruit-setting rate and good productivity.

The fruit is nearly round, large and uniform. The average single fruit weight is 59.16 g, and the maximum single fruit weight is 75.5 g. The background color of the fruit is apricot yellow, with a red blush on the sunny side. The flesh is orange-yellow, relatively fine and soft, with few fibers and abundant juice. The flavor is sweet and sour, suitable to the taste, with an excellent mouthfeel and superior quality. The stone is free from the flesh, and the kernel is sweet. The fruit matures in late July in the Harbin area. It is currently an excellent new variety among apricot varieties in the cold northern regions, with large fruit, high quality, and suitability for close planting cultivation.

2 Main cultivation techniques

2.1 Orchard establishment

When planting, first pay attention to selecting the orchard site to prevent frost damage during the flowering period, and plant at a reasonable density. For orchard establishment on mountainous land, choose a relatively high position or the middle part of a slope, preferably a gentle slope facing the sun and sheltered from the wind. For orchard establishment on flat land, be sure to avoid low-lying areas or places where cold air easily stagnates. Because the canopy of Longyuan Sweet Apricot is smaller than that of other apricots, the plant and row spacing can be smaller than that of other apricots. Generally, a planting density of 3 m between plants and 4 m between rows is used, which can not only improve land utilization but also increase yield per unit area and economic benefits. Second, pollination trees should be rationally configured. Longyuan Sweet Apricot can use Longyuan Peach Apricot and Longyuan Yellow Apricot as pollination trees, with a pollination tree ratio of 4:1 or 6:1.

2.2 Training and pruning

Adopting a reasonable tree shape is the foundation for high and stable yields of apricots. According to the growth and development characteristics of Longyuan Sweet Apricot and the needs of apricot production development, the trunk height is set at 40 to 50 cm. In training and pruning, a cup-shaped form can be used, with 4 to 5 main branches selected and retained, and moderate heading-back pruning. During the young tree stage, pay attention to summer pruning to facilitate early fruiting and improve the cold resistance of the plant. During the full fruit-bearing stage, adopt a pruning method combining branch thinning and heading back, cut back fruiting branches, and promote the growth of vigorous branches.

2.3 Fertilizer and water management and pest and disease control

Although the apricot tree itself has a well-developed root system and strong drought tolerance, irrigation at several key periods, such as before bud break in early spring and during the young fruit swelling stage, will play an important role in increasing yield. At the same time, it is advocated to apply more organic fertilizer in autumn, compost high-quality farmyard manure, and apply complete fertilizer, so as to lay a good material foundation for improving the stress resistance of the plant, improving fruit quality, and achieving high yield and extended lifespan.

The main insect pests of Longyuan Sweet Apricot are peach powdery aphid and lesser peach fruit moth, and the disease is gummosis. Therefore, production should follow the policy of "prevention first, integrated control," and according to the occurrence patterns of pests and diseases, spray pesticides at the proper time, use pesticides rationally, and carry out integrated control. For gummosis, which commonly occurs in production, prevention should be the main approach, trying to avoid large wounds caused by mechanical injury and pruning, and strengthening tree protection, such as whitewashing in autumn and spraying protective agents in spring.

3 Suitable areas

Large-scale planting can be carried out in Harbin, Jixi, Mudanjiang, Boli, Qiqihar, Mishan and other places. In addition, cultivation can also be carried out in Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, **, Hebei and other provinces.

4 Market development prospects

From variety breeding to production trial planting, Longyuan Sweet Apricot took 20 years, during which it experienced two relatively serious freeze injuries in the history of Heilongjiang Province: 1993-1994 and 2000-2001. From the situation of production trial planting inside and outside the province, all localities generally believe that Longyuan Sweet Apricot has relatively strong cold resistance, large fruit, and excellent quality. It can be used both for fresh eating and for kernels, and is very popular among fruit growers and the market. Moreover, because its plant is dwarfed, on the one hand it is beneficial for field management, such as fruit harvesting, spraying, and pruning, and on the other hand it is suitable for close planting, increasing yield per mu and increasing economic benefits. Therefore, Longyuan Sweet Apricot is currently a relatively ideal new apricot variety for cold regions, with broad future market prospects.