Articles
INFLUENCE OF ‘TWENTIETH CENTURY’ (NIJISSEIKI) PEAR AND ITS PROGENIES ON PEAR BREEDING IN CHINA
Article number
587_16
Pages
151 – 155
Language
English
Abstract
Pyrus spp. originated in China, including cultivars that belong to Pyrus pyrifolia, P. bretschneideri, P. ussuriensis, P. sinkiangensis, as a whole are called Asian pear or Chinese pear.
Growing of pear has quite a long history in China and has produced many excellent local cultivars.
In the early 20th century, a number of Japanese pear cultivars were introduced into some regions of China.
Both Chinese pear and Japanese pear have their own strong and weak points.
To combine the valuable qualities of both ecotypes, from about the 1950s, cross breeding between them was undertaken in a planned way in China.
As a result, the famous Huanghua pear and Cuifu pear came into being in 1974. Beginning in the 1970s, researches carried out in the Zhejiang Agricultural University and some fruit research institutes, through proper combinations of cultivars of different species and ecotypes in their crossing projects and succeeding meticulous selection gave rise to quite a number of prospective new cultivars and strains.
They are essentially progenies of hybrids from crossing between Chinese and Japanese pears including Xizilu, Xinhang, Zhaomeisu and Huangguan which are the most prominent ones among them.
Studies indicated that the Japanese pear cultivar Twentieth Century and its progenies as well, has excellent genetic background and is, thus, qualified to be chosen as a valuable partner for crossing with Chinese pear in breeding.
Hybridization involving the utilization of the beneficial characteristics of the Twentieth Century and its progenies are considered as a very prospective approach toward improving Chinese pear.
Growing of pear has quite a long history in China and has produced many excellent local cultivars.
In the early 20th century, a number of Japanese pear cultivars were introduced into some regions of China.
Both Chinese pear and Japanese pear have their own strong and weak points.
To combine the valuable qualities of both ecotypes, from about the 1950s, cross breeding between them was undertaken in a planned way in China.
As a result, the famous Huanghua pear and Cuifu pear came into being in 1974. Beginning in the 1970s, researches carried out in the Zhejiang Agricultural University and some fruit research institutes, through proper combinations of cultivars of different species and ecotypes in their crossing projects and succeeding meticulous selection gave rise to quite a number of prospective new cultivars and strains.
They are essentially progenies of hybrids from crossing between Chinese and Japanese pears including Xizilu, Xinhang, Zhaomeisu and Huangguan which are the most prominent ones among them.
Studies indicated that the Japanese pear cultivar Twentieth Century and its progenies as well, has excellent genetic background and is, thus, qualified to be chosen as a valuable partner for crossing with Chinese pear in breeding.
Hybridization involving the utilization of the beneficial characteristics of the Twentieth Century and its progenies are considered as a very prospective approach toward improving Chinese pear.
Publication
Authors
D. Shen, M. Chai, J. Fang
Keywords
Chinese pear, Japanese pear, ¿Twentieth Century¿ pear, cross breeding
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