The varieties of fig planted in China are mainly cyan, yellow, red and brown, and there are few purple varieties in production. In recent years, the Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences has successfully bred a new purple variety "Zizuan" fig, which has been popularized by the Beijing Guoran Guomei Company in China and is currently being planted in Ledong County, Hainan Province.
"The storage resistance and high yield of Zizuan figs can make up for the lack of purple-black fig varieties in China." Ms. Chen Junmiao, the general manager of Guoran Guomei, introduced the new variety of Zizuan figs to Freshplaza.
"We compare it with the mainstream varieties in China at present: the traditional variety "Bojihong" has a short storage period and poor taste during the rainy season, while "Zizuan" has good storage resistance, and the storage time can reach twice as long as "Bojihong" under the same conditions. Another traditional variety "Banana" is more used for processing, such as making dried fruit and jam, while "Zizuan" can be eaten fresh or processed.
"This is related to the biological characteristics of each variety. Taking "Bojihong" as an example, because the flowers of fig grow in the fruit, and "Bojihong" has a gap in the fruit because of its short stamen, rain easily enters the fruit hole on rainy days, which causes to crack, and the stamen is more vulnerable to pests and diseases. These problems can only be reduced by biological control, and cannot be totally eliminated. However, the "Zizuan" variety can overcome the above defects because of its slender stamens, no gap in the middle and good sealing at the top fruit hole, thus improving its storage resistance."
"High yield is another characteristic of this variety. The growth characteristic of figs is "one leaf grows one fruit". Among Zizuan varieties, the proportion of "one leaf and two fruits" is not small. In addition, the purple-black peel of this variety is rich in anthocyanins, which caters to consumers' preference for dark-colored food. Taken together, it can be seen that Zizuan varieties are more commercial and can meet the market demand," said Ms. Chen.
It is understood that this variety of fig has been planted in Ledong County, Hainan since 2021, and entered production in August 2022. Some fruits matured during the Spring Festival this year, and it is expected that the variety will enter mass production next year.
Talking about the current planting and production, Ms. Chen said: "The production season of Zizuan is from December to June of the following year. During the planting period last year, due to the lack of rain in the producing area, the fruit tastes sweeter. In the process of planting, the simplification of overall planting management and the high yield of the variety itself exceeded our expectations, which made us look forward to the future." Ms. Chen added that due to its strong storage resistance, this variety can improve the maturity when picking and make the picked fruit sweeter and better in taste.
Beijing Guoran Guomei, headquartered in Beijing, is mainly engaged in fresh figs, with a planting base in Hainan and the wholesale market as the main sales channel. At present, we focus on the cultivation and promotion of the new variety "Zizuan" fig and will take "Heixiangmi" as the brand name of this variety.