What are the characteristics of the Red Lotus Calyx Apricot? A comprehensive analysis of its varietal traits
What are the characteristics of the Red Lotus Calyx Apricot?
The Red Lotus Calyx Apricot, also known as the Thin-Shell Apricot, is mainly produced in the Licheng and Changqing areas of Shandong, with a history of more than 200 years. It is an extra-early-maturing fresh-eating variety.
This variety has a vigorous tree habit, an open tree form, rapid growth and strong adaptability. It bears fruit mainly on short fruit branches, with medium productivity. The fruit is medium to large, with an average single-fruit weight of 45 g and a maximum of 70 g. It is oval, with a flat and slightly sunken top and a prominent suture. The skin is orange-red, rarely with patchy purplish-red blush, and glossy. The skin is relatively thick, and the flesh is orange-red, fine in texture, sweet and sour in taste, with a strong aroma and relatively little juice. When fully ripe, the quality is excellent. It contains 10-13% soluble solids, 78% total sugars (2% reducing sugars, 5.8% sucrose), 4.07 mg/100 g vitamin C, and 1.83% total acids. It is free-stone, with a small bitter kernel. Because the embryo is underdeveloped, the seeds do not germinate. The fruit is relatively tolerant of storage and transport, and can be kept for 5-7 days at room temperature and for 20 days at a constant temperature of 5C. In Tai'an, Shandong, the fruit ripens at the end of May, and the commercial harvest period is around May 20. Its economic value is relatively high.
The greatest characteristic of the Red Lotus Calyx Apricot is its early maturity. In terms of its early-maturing trait, only a few varieties can currently compare with it, such as Chuanling and Luotuohuang from Beijing, as well as CS-83 recently bred by Hebei Agricultural University.
The Red Lotus Calyx has a low self-fruit-setting rate and needs pollinizer trees, such as Erhuacao, Hongyu Apricot or seedling apricot. If the Red Lotus Calyx tree is improperly pruned, it easily causes the fruiting site to move outward. Properly cutting back the perennial branches that have been left unpruned can help fruit set.