THE PEAR INDUSTRY AND RESEARCH IN CHINA

Yuanwen Teng
In China, 13 Pyrus species have been described and more than 3000 cultivars originating from Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim., P. pyrifolia Nakai and P. singkangensis Yu. have been recorded. Recent studies using DNA markers have revealed the genetic phylogeny and diversity of Pyrus species and the evolution and development of cultivars. Although traditional cultivars still account for over 50% of total pear production, recently released cultivars are becoming leading cultivars in some regions. China is the world’s leading country in pear production, accounting for 65.7% of world production and 72.3% of world growing area. Pear ranks third among fruit industries in China after oranges and apple. Due to lack of dwarf rootstocks, most old orchards were established with low planting density. However, newly planted pears with vigorous rootstocks and high planting densities tend to be managed with intensive systems, which are now leading to poor yield and quality with increasing the tree age due to poor light penetration in some regions. Artificial pollination and fruit bagging have become regular practices and related research has been carried out to identify the best pollinators and fruit bags. To meet the consumers’ increased needs for safe pear fruit, integrated pest management (IPM) has become increasingly popular, including the use of pheromone mating disruption, yellow sticky traps and insect trapping lamps. However, chemical sprays are still regular measures to control serious diseases.
Yuanwen Teng, (2011). THE PEAR INDUSTRY AND RESEARCH IN CHINA. Acta Hortic. 909, 161-170
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2011.909.16
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2011.909.16
Pyrus ussuriensis, P. pyrifolia, P. singkangensis, pear cultivars, pear breeding
English

Acta Horticulturae