More than 130,000 mu of early-maturing apples in Zhaoyang District, Zhaotong City, have been hitting the market in recent days, and among the many early-season varieties, the locally developed exclusive cultivar 鈥淒ianhongcui鈥 has stood out sharply, selling out immediately upon release.

The birth of the 鈥淒ianhongcui鈥 apple traces back to a chance discovery. Long Shuai, deputy general manager of an agricultural company in Zhaoyang District, explained, 鈥淚n 2023, during a routine check at the 鈥楬onglu鈥 apple orchard, we found two trees that looked different, with deep red, blotchy-colored fruit, clearly distinct from the striped appearance typical of the 鈥楬onglu鈥 variety.鈥 This observation quickly drew the attention of the Zhaoyang District Apple Industry Development Center, which immediately conducted genetic testing and bud mutation selection trials, swiftly launching the breeding process for 鈥淒ianhongcui.鈥

Through rigorous screening and regional trials, the advantages of 鈥淒ianhongcui鈥 have become evident, including strong disease and pest resistance, easy management, high fruit set rates, and excellent appearance and taste, earning unanimous praise from experts and growers alike. The head of a local agricultural technology company noted, 鈥淔or planting 鈥楧ianhongcui,鈥 adult trees are grafted with new shoots. In the same year of grafting, establishment is complete; in one year, tree structure forms; in two years, fruiting begins; in three years, full production resumes, and by the fourth year, per-mu yield can reach over 6,000 jin, with a per-mu output value exceeding 28,000 yuan, nearly doubling the returns compared to growing Fuji apples. Local residents are flocking to the base to buy grafting branches, and supply is struggling to meet demand.鈥

Zhaoyang District is actively advancing research efforts by incorporating the cultivation and promotion of 鈥淒ianhongcui鈥 into the 鈥淪ecretary-Led Project,鈥 pooling resources from technology task forces, agricultural science stations, and expert workstations. They have established an innovation consortium comprising universities, leading enterprises, and cooperatives, bringing in 17 apple industry experts on a flexible basis. Through three renewal models, including entire orchard replacement, row or tree replacement, and batch renewal with sustained production, and tailored to different tree ages, shapes, and vigor, they have pioneered four grafting techniques: single-trunk grafting, multi-leader grafting, multi-branch grafting, and high-trunk grafting with production retention, all aimed at screening and promoting the renewal of quality early-maturing varieties like 鈥淒ianhongcui.鈥

Currently, in major apple-producing areas such as Yongfeng and Sujiayuan, a 60-mu experimental base for bud mutation and cross-breeding selection has been established, with 鈥淒ianhongcui鈥 now grown on more than 6,000 mu, generating an estimated output value of 168 million yuan. From a single chance mutant tree to large-scale cultivation, the successful breeding and promotion of 鈥淒ianhongcui鈥 vividly illustrates Zhaoyang District鈥檚 commitment to technology, talent, and industry as the driving forces behind the high-quality development of the apple industry. This 鈥渞ed fruit鈥 from the Wumeng Plateau, with its distinctive qualities of early maturity, sweetness, fragrance, crispness, and vivid color, is injecting sustained industrial momentum into the comprehensive rural revitalization of Zhaoyang District.