Century-old pomegranate trees in SW China's Yunnan well protected, yield juicy, sweet fruits

An ancient pomegranate tree in an orchard in Mengzi city, southwest China's Yunnan Province turned 200 years old on Sept. 16, 2024. Despite its age, the tree produces pomegranates with thin peels, plump seeds, soft cores, and a juicy, sweet taste.

Photo shows the 200-year-old pomegranate tree at an ancient pomegranate tree orchard in Mengzi city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/He Xinwen)

Photo shows pomegranates on the branches of a pomegranate tree at an ancient pomegranate tree orchard in Mengzi city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/People's Daily App)

The orchard, covering an area of about 200 mu (about 13.33 hectares), is home to pomegranate trees that are more than 125 years old.

Photo shows seeds of a pomegranate harvested at an ancient pomegranate tree orchard in Mengzi city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/People's Daily App)

The vibrant growth of the pomegranate trees is inseparable from sci-tech innovation, protection efforts and ecological farming.

According to Zhang Xian, head of the Mengsheng Pomegranate Production and Marketing Cooperative, the cooperative and China Agricultural University jointly established a pomegranate science and technology courtyard. The courtyard is dedicated to advancing the organic cultivation of pomegranates, steering clear of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. This promotes healthier and greener growth of the ancient pomegranate trees, thus leading to high-quality fruits.

Some of the pomegranates will be delivered to the hands of 20 centenarians in Mengzi by community workers, allowing these elders to savor the sweet fruits from the century-old trees.

A centenarian holds a pomegranate. (Photo/Chen Huaying)

Pomegranate planting has a history of over 800 years in Mengzi. Beyond preserving ancient pomegranate trees, Mengzi has established a mechanism involving farmers, companies, and cooperatives with shared interests, built an expert workstation, established a nursery that currently preserves the germplasm resources of 308 pomegranate varieties worldwide, nurtured 21 hybrid pomegranate varieties, and introduced four patent pomegranate varieties for trial planting. These efforts have driven the transformation and upgrade of the local pomegranate industry.

Researchers of a pomegranate science and technology courtyard work at an ancient pomegranate tree orchard in Mengzi city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Zhang Jue)

Workers sort and pack pomegranates from ancient trees in Mengzi city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Zhang Jue)

Currently, there are 62 professional pomegranate cooperatives in Mengzi, with a total pomegranate planting area spanning 120,000 mu and pomegranate production of 340,600 tonnes. The total output value of the pomegranate cooperatives surpasses 1.2 billion yuan (about $171 million).