Articles
Early performance of jujube cultivars in the southwestern Unites States
Article number
1350_2
Pages
7 – 14
Language
English
Abstract
Jujube cultivars were first imported into the United States over one hundred years ago.
Now jujubes are widely planted by home gardeners and commercial growers, especially in the southwestern part of the United States.
The early trials were in 1930s-1950s with limited data published, but expanding planting necessitates current cultivar assessment.
With this in mind, jujube cultivar trials were set up at three locations: New Mexico State University Alcalde (2015), Los Lunas (2015), and Leyendecker Centers (2017), which represent northern, central, and southern New Mexico, respectively.
Data collected for the first 4-5 years (3 years for the Leyendecker site), show that some cultivars, such as Kongfucui, Pitless, Sugarcane, Li, and Daguazao performed well at all three sites, while others, such as Sherwood and Jinkuiwang, performed better in central and southern sites but not so well at the northern site.
The northern site had the short growing season, and while home gardeners in this region could try both fresh eating and drying cultivars, but only grow early and mid-season fresh eating cultivars are feasible for commercial production.
In central New Mexico, commercial growers and home gardens can grow most cultivars from early to late-maturity, except really late drying cultivars.
In southern New Mexico, growers have full choice of early to late cultivars for both fresh eating and drying/multipurpose cultivars.
Cultivars suitable for each region were preliminarily recommended.
Based on previous research reports and observations in New Mexico, the average annual temperature of 10°C (50°F) is the borderline for jujube commercial production which corresponds to Espanola/Alcalde area in New Mexico.
Growers in Taos, NM can still test super early fresh eating cultivars, but not drying ones.
In extreme years like 2019, the Alcalde site only had 123 day frost-free growing season and most cultivars could not fully mature; late and some mid-season cultivars were also affected in Los Lunas but not at Leyendecker.
Now jujubes are widely planted by home gardeners and commercial growers, especially in the southwestern part of the United States.
The early trials were in 1930s-1950s with limited data published, but expanding planting necessitates current cultivar assessment.
With this in mind, jujube cultivar trials were set up at three locations: New Mexico State University Alcalde (2015), Los Lunas (2015), and Leyendecker Centers (2017), which represent northern, central, and southern New Mexico, respectively.
Data collected for the first 4-5 years (3 years for the Leyendecker site), show that some cultivars, such as Kongfucui, Pitless, Sugarcane, Li, and Daguazao performed well at all three sites, while others, such as Sherwood and Jinkuiwang, performed better in central and southern sites but not so well at the northern site.
The northern site had the short growing season, and while home gardeners in this region could try both fresh eating and drying cultivars, but only grow early and mid-season fresh eating cultivars are feasible for commercial production.
In central New Mexico, commercial growers and home gardens can grow most cultivars from early to late-maturity, except really late drying cultivars.
In southern New Mexico, growers have full choice of early to late cultivars for both fresh eating and drying/multipurpose cultivars.
Cultivars suitable for each region were preliminarily recommended.
Based on previous research reports and observations in New Mexico, the average annual temperature of 10°C (50°F) is the borderline for jujube commercial production which corresponds to Espanola/Alcalde area in New Mexico.
Growers in Taos, NM can still test super early fresh eating cultivars, but not drying ones.
In extreme years like 2019, the Alcalde site only had 123 day frost-free growing season and most cultivars could not fully mature; late and some mid-season cultivars were also affected in Los Lunas but not at Leyendecker.
Publication
Authors
Shengrui Yao, R. Heyduck
Keywords
Ziziphus jujuba Mill., fruit quality, fruit traits, yield
Groups involved
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