GENERAL SITUATION ON SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY OF PERSIMMON IN CHINA MAINLAND

Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) is one of the most popular fruit crops in China mainland. According to the FAOSTAT in 2003, the acreage and production are 293,000 ha and 1,737,747 tons respectively, both of which ranked first in the world and 9th in China mainland comparing with other fruits. At the National Fruits Germplasm Repository for Persimmon located at Northwest Sci-Tech University of Agriculture and Forestry, Yangling, Shaanxi province, more than 550 accessions are being preserved in vivo. Fruit de-astringency mechanism and rootstock selection for non-astringent persimmon were conducted at Institute of Subtropical Forestry of Chinese Academy of Forestry Science, Fuyang, Zhejiang province. Physiology, ecology and cultivation were mostly studied at Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi province and Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu province. In addition, ecological adaptability was tested and non-astringent Japanese persimmons were introduced by Institute of Fruit Trees of Shandong, Tai’an, Shangdong. More than 110 accessions, including some local cultivars (land race) and all pollination constant and non-astringent (PCNA) types of Chinese persimmon, were preserved in vitro and in vivo in Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei province. The PCNA types were collected, preserved, identified for genetic diversity and evaluated for economic traits, along with the studies on their origin and evolution. It has been affirmed that non-astringent cultivars including ‘Luotiantianshi’ exist in Dabieshan Mountains, and so do the rare male resources and the new other types. The cryopreservation techniques by vitrification have been established. In order to improve ‘Luotiantianshi’, which bears small fruit with many seeds, nonaploid production from 2n pollen is now being pursued.