Introduction to the June Crisp Pear Variety and Key Cultivation Techniques
I. Variety Origin. The June Crisp Pear is an extremely early-maturing excellent new variety selected by the "Pear New Variety Breeding" research group of the Fruit Tree Research Institute, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, through bud mutation selection from the early-maturing variety Zaosu Pear. This variety adapts to the Loess Plateau, Northeast Plain, Yellow River and Yangtze River basins and other regions.
II. Variety Characteristics. This variety grows vigorously with an upright tree habit; one-year-old branches are upright, thick and reddish-brown; leaves are green, and the leaf margin has needle-like compound serrations that are more pronounced than those of Zaosu. This variety bears fruit early, with high and stable yields. When using high-quality standard-rootstock seedlings to establish an orchard with a row spacing of 4 x 1.5 m, it begins to bear fruit in the third year, with an average yield of 421.8 kg per 667 sq m. In the fourth year, the average yield is 970.1 kg per 667 sq m, and in the fifth year, the average yield is 2231.2 kg per 667 sq m.
III. Suitable Density for Orchard Establishment. The June Crisp Pear has a vigorous tree habit, strong trunk dominance and rapid canopy expansion, so a row spacing of 3.5-4 m x 2-3 m is appropriate. To increase early-stage yields, temporary plants can be densely interplanted within the row, and after the pear orchard becomes crowded, every other plant can be thinning out. It is recommended to select pollinizer varieties with maturity periods basically close to that of June Crisp, such as Cuiguan, Xizilv, Xinshui and Kosui, or mid-maturing excellent varieties such as Huangjin, Huangguan, Qiushuijing and Bayuehong, etc. It is best to choose two varieties as pollinizers.
IV. Training and Pruning. This variety is suitable for the spindle shape or the small canopy delayed-open central leader shape. The tree form can be developed by bud notching and branch bending, generally completed in 2-3 years. Young trees should be lightly pruned and long shoots left unpruned. In summer pruning, girdling or scoring should be carried out on the trunk or strong vigorous main branches, and upright branches should be appropriately thinned out or their angles opened to moderate growth vigor and promote flower bud formation. For large and medium-sized fruiting branches that have borne fruit for many consecutive years, timely and moderate renewal pruning should be carried out to keep the fruiting branches vigorous and ensure high and stable yields.
V. Fertilizer and Water Management. 1. Soil fertilization. Because this variety matures extremely early, autumn fertilization should be increased ("one-shot" application), or the fruit-swelling fertilizer should be moved earlier to late April to early May. For fertilization rates, young fruiting trees should be fertilized at 1.5-2 kg of high-quality farmyard manure for every 1 kg of pears produced; for pear orchards in full fruiting stage, apply more than 3000 kg per 667 sq m. The application method is trench application: dig radial trenches or a ring trench around the outer edge of the canopy, with a trench depth of 40-60 cm. 2. Foliar fertilizer spraying. Apply 4-5 times throughout the year: generally 2 times in the early growth stage, mainly nitrogen fertilizer; and 2-3 times in the later stage, mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Depending on tree condition, trace elements required for fruit tree growth and development can also be sprayed. Common fertilizer concentrations are urea 0.2%-0.3%, monopotassium phosphate 0.2%-0.3%, and borax 0.1%-0.3%. Foliar fertilizer spraying should avoid high-temperature periods. 3. Timely watering. While fertilizing, pay attention to watering. During spring drought in early spring and autumn drought, water to prevent drought. In the rainy season, do a good job of trench drainage.
VI. Cultivation and Mulching. In clean-cultivation orchards and sod-culture orchards, after rainfall or irrigation during the growing season, the tree disks should be cultivated and weeded in time (cultivation depth 5-10 cm to help regulate temperature and conserve moisture) to keep the soil loose. When mulching a pear orchard, the mulching materials can be wheat straw, wheat chaff, corn stalks, rice straw and field weeds, etc., with a mulching thickness of 10-15 cm, and a little soil scattered on top. After continuous mulching for 3-4 years, shallow plowing should be carried out once in combination with autumn base fertilizer application; grass can also be buried in large trenches in combination with deep plowing to improve soil fertility and water storage capacity.
VII. Flower Thinning and Fruit Setting. The June Crisp Pear is prone to deformed fruit when fruiting from axillary flower buds. When thinning flowers, the axillary flower buds and the central flower of terminal flower buds as well as the first and second flowers of side flowers should be removed, leaving the third, fourth and fifth flowers, so as to promote a regular and attractive fruit shape and improve external quality. In calcium-deficient areas, a 0.3%-0.5% calcium solution should be sprayed at the flowering stage and young fruit stage.
VIII. Rational Summer Pruning. Mainly use techniques such as branch bending, branch twisting and shoot pinching so that shoots and branches change angle, direction and orientation according to training requirements, thereby creating a reasonable tree structure and achieving the goals of light penetration, vigor moderation, branch increase, flower promotion and fruit setting.
IX. Disease and Pest Control. To prevent early defoliation from causing autumn flowering in the June Crisp Pear, control should be strengthened against diseases such as pear scab, brown spot and black spot, and pests such as aphids, pear lace bugs, pear gall midges and mites.
X. Harvesting at the Proper Time. The appropriate harvest time should be determined comprehensively according to fruit maturity, use and market demand. During harvest, handle with care to avoid mechanical damage.