Fruit Germplasm Resources And Biodiversity In Shandong Province

Shandong Province lies between 34°25'N ~ 38°23'N and 114°36'E~122°43'E , along China's eastern coast, covering 156.7 thousand km2. The total land is divided into two parts, the peninsula and mainland, with the peninsula at the east protruding into the Huanghai Sea and Bohai Sea. Besed on topography, Shandong is reparted into the center-south mountain area, the east mountain area and the northwestern plain area. The province is located in the temperate zone with a semi-humid monsoon climate, with the annual temperature ranging 11.2℃~14.4℃,the accumulated temperature (> 10℃)3600~4600℃,the sunshine 2335~2768h,and the precipitation 500~ 900mm.The plant distribution has a clear belt tendency from east to west, and can be carved out into the center-south mountain area, the east mountain area and the northwestern plain area, being covered by 263 mutants, 2119 species, 925 genera and 183 families.Shandong has a long history of fruit culture (over 3000 years) and owns rich fruit germplasm resources with a lot of fruit production areas and special local fruit products have been famous from ancient times till now.Based on investigation by Shandong Fruits Gemplasm Resources Investigating Group, Shandong Institute of Pomology had re-investigated the germplasm resources in 1981-1983 and edited Shandong Monograph of Fruit Trees ,in which are recorded 2139 cultivars and types,34 mutants ,92 species,33 genera and 17 families.In recent years we engaged in the investigation again and ascertained that now available fruits in Shandong Province account for 168 species (mutant), 50 genera and 24 families, therein, 113 species (mutant), 39 genera and 21 families are originally distributed, 33 species or mutant, 7 genera and 2 families came from other provinces, 22 species (mutant), 4 genera and 1 family were introduced from other countries. The familiar fruits are 30 species (mutant), 16 genera and 11 families, and the original wild fruits number 81 species (mutant), 34 genera and 20 families. There has been renewed the old conclusion that Shandong has 34 cultivars or varieties,92 species,33 genera and 17 families of fruits, thus provided accurate data for research, schematization, regionalization and production of fruits, yet for research,development and utilization of wild fruits in Shandong.Most of available fruit gemplasm resources in Shandong Province are original. Some cultivars were cultured by seed propagation chronically, other cultivars by both seed and grafting propagation, so causing gene changed again and again. Some cultivars were cultured by vegetative propagation such as cutting, root turioning and grafting, but people had no concept that cultivar has concurrent vegetative propagation characteristic previously, and some nutrition variations in the extended cultivation were found, so biodiversity of fruit germplasm resources is quite abundant in Shandong Province.In order to rationally develop and utilize fruit germplasm resources in Shandong Province, attention must be paid to the following three aspects. Firstly, it is necessary to use the abundance of resources to work for germplasm enhancement. Secondly, it is should to protect biodiversity such as building fruit germplasm gardens, saving copies of the protected species and developing suitable ways of in vitro preservation. Thirdly, synchronously carry out protection and development, moderate exploitation is one of effective methods for protection.There exist 81 species (mutant), 34 genera and 20 families of wild fruit resources in Shandong Province, but the research base is very weak, and the exploitation and utilization do not yet begin. The ways for exploitation and utilization of wild fruit resources are as follows. Firstly, conduct systematic research on resistance, adaptability, biological characteristics, nutrition components, storage and processing characteristics, propagation ways and intensive culture techniques used for exploitation-planned germplasm resources. Secondly, strengthen research and development of processing products. Thirdly, select an appropriate zone for intensive culture and industrialized management. Lastly, according to special characteristics in some wild fruits, for example resistance to cold or drought and tolerance to infertility or alkali of soil, make efforts on exploiting mountain ridges, sandy wasteland and alkaline land, thus obtain both ecological and economical results.