How to Improve Jujube Fruit Quality? A Detailed Guide to Practical Methods

Improving jujube fruit quality is hard to achieve by relying on just one or two measures; a comprehensive set of technical measures is needed.

(1) Develop superior varieties. New jujube orchards must choose superior varieties. For existing low-yield, poor-quality jujube orchards, top grafting to replace with superior varieties is the fundamental measure for improving fruit quality.

(2) Rational fertilization. Organic fertilizer should be the main input, with a moderate amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium chemical fertilizers. Nitrogen fertilizer has already received sufficient attention, but awareness of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, especially potassium fertilizer, is insufficient. Excessive nitrogen application reduces the sugar content of the fruit and lowers quality. Jujube is a potassium-loving tree species, and appropriately increasing the amount of potassium fertilizer used plays an important role in improving fruit quality.

(3) Renewal pruning. Jujube bearing spurs 3 to 7 years old have a high fruit-setting rate and produce good-quality fruit, while old bearing spurs have a low fruiting rate and fruit quality is also affected. Therefore, for jujube orchards that have entered the full bearing period, bearing branch groups should be renewed in batches year by year, so that 3-to-7-year-old bearing branches are dominant.

(4) Improve light conditions. During winter pruning, measures such as dropping the top and opening the center, thinning branches and heading back, and during summer pruning, measures such as pinching, branch bending and branch twisting improve the light conditions of the tree, guide light into the canopy, promote leaf photosynthesis, increase the proportion of photosynthate distributed to the fruit, enhance fruit coloration and improve quality.

(5) Timely prevention and control of pests and diseases. Damage from jujube rust, red spider mites and scale insects often causes leaves to drop early, reducing the photosynthetic area and lowering leaf photosynthesis, so fruit development does not receive sufficient nutrients, cannot ripen normally and declines in quality. Jujube fruit iron-skin disease makes the fruit lose its edible value, and it must be carefully controlled.

(6) Prevent fruit cracking during the ripening period. Continuous overcast and rainy weather during the fruit ripening period causes fruit cracking and pulpy rotten fruit, seriously affecting fruit quality. Where conditions permit, jujube orchards, especially dwarf and densely planted orchards, can build protective shelters with bamboo poles, wire and plastic during the ripening period, which can effectively prevent fruit cracking.