Breeding and Protection Status of New Varieties of Pomegranate Plants in China

LIANG Jing; TANG Guimin; SHU Xiuge; YANG Lei; LUO Hua; BI Runxia; ZHAO Dengchao

doi:10.19590/j.cnki.1008-1038.2025.02.014

Abstract：This article categorized and summarized the selection institutions,breeding methods,and breeding objectives of pomegranate in China in the past 20 years,and collected and organized the data related to the application and authorization of new pomegranate varieties in China.According to statistics,since pomegranate was included in the List of New Plant Varieties Protection of the People's Republic of China(Forestry Part)in 2004,57 newly bred pomegranate varieties have been searched for in relevant literature.Research institutes were the main breeding bodies,and the breeding methods were traditional breeding,which mainly focuses on seedling selection,followed by bud mutation selection breeding and cross breeding.The economic characteristics of the fruit are mainly red peel,sweet flavor,big fruit,and medium to big seed,with soluble solids exceeding 14％.Before 2018,hard seed pomegranate were the main breeding methods,and after 2018,soft seed pomegranates were the main breeding methods.As of 2023,there were 61 applications and 39 authorizations for new pomegranate varieties in China.Among the domestic provinces(cities)involved in applications and authorizations,the highest number of applications was in Henan province and the highest number of authorizations was in Shandong province.The institution with the highest number of applications and authorizations was the Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.This article analyzed the current situation of breeding and protection of new varieties of pomegranate in China,and proposed the problems and relevant suggestions,in order to provide reference and guidance for the next step of breeding and protection work.