Loquat management mode in new cultivation areas in Qingyuan, Guangdong Province, China.

摘要

Wild loquat is distributed in the Qingyuan municipality of Guangdong Province in China, which is located between the northern front of the southern subtropics and the southern front of the central subtropics. The region is free from typhoon and frost damages. With good land resources, it is a suitable region for loquat cultivation. The cultivar 'Zaozhong No.6', which is characterized by early maturation, high quality, large fruit size and regular cropping, has been chosen as the major commercial cultivar in Qingyuan. Until October 2005, there had been a total cultivation area of 800 hectares in the region, where the largest planting is the Wufeng Loquat Orchard. The management mode of this orchard is based on one cultivar, 'Zaozhong No.6', with cultivation practices (planting, fertilizer application, irrigation, pruning, flower thinning and bagging) in accordance with "green food" standards, which stress food safety and pollution-free practices. Although there is a high investment cost, production is but very economical.