On June 3rd, a field observation and tasting event for a new lychee variety was held in Dianbai, Maoming, unveiling the heavyweight "Xiantao lychee" bred by South China Agricultural University (SCAU). This variety bears huge fruits, with an average weight of 60 grams per fruit and the largest reaching nearly 110 grams, resembling small "peaches"—hence the name "Xiantao lychee". Known for its excellent flesh quality, it can hit the market simultaneously with early-maturing varieties, Maintaining freshness at room temperature for 5-7 days and lasting up to 1 month under low temperatures. In 2024, this variety was introduced for demonstration planting in Maoming, with 2000 out of 2500 fruit trees bearing fruit, yielding around 60,000 fruits.

Since 2008, the research team of SCAU has conducted artificial hybridization using "emperor lychee" as the maternal parent and "seedless lychee" as the paternal parent, ultimately breeding the well-rounded "Xiantao lychee," which obtained plant variety rights authorization in 2023.

In Huakeng Village, Caojiang Town, Gaozhou, 70 kilometers away from Dianbai, the team led by Chen Houbin at SCAU has made significant achievements in technological services. A fruit orchard of over 6.7 hectares that had been abandoned for nearly 10 years was revitalized after the team arrived in 2021, transforming it into a national-level experimental demonstration base. The team leveraged its expertise in agricultural machinery to advanced mechanization reforms, resulting in an eight to ten times increase in management efficiency. The first-year yield reached 19,500 kilograms per hectare and the management rate of over 530 hectares of the village's lychee orchards rose from 60% to 80%. Currently, the team continues its variety breeding efforts, with several excellent strains entering the protection application phase.

SCAU boasts strong lychee research capabilities, with seven out of thirteen experts in the National Lychee Longan Industrial Technology System coming from the university, providing comprehensive support for industry chain development. To date, the team has cultivated 19 new lychee varieties. In May 2025, SCAU signed an agreement with the Gaozhou Municipal Government to deepen university-local cooperation, focusing on technological breakthroughs in characteristic industries such as lychee, to support Maoming's "Hundred, thousand, and Ten Thousand Project" and elevate Guangdong's lychee industry to a high-value "golden brand."

比鸡蛋还大的荔枝！华农“仙桃荔”甜爆上新

6月3日，茂名电白举办荔枝新品种现场观摩品鉴会，重磅推出华南农业大学选育的"仙桃荔"。该品种果实硕大，平均单果重60克，最大近110克，形如小"仙桃"——“仙桃荔”的名称由此得来。其肉质优良，可与早熟品种同期上市，常温保鲜5-7天，低温下能存1个月。2024年引入茂名示范种植，2500株果树中2000株挂果，产量约6万吨。

自2008年起，华农团队以“紫娘喜”为母本、以“无核荔”为父本进行人工有性杂交，最终选育出综合性状较好的“仙桃荔”，2023年获得植物新品种权授权。

在距离电白70公里的高州曹江镇华坑村，华南农业大学陈厚彬团队的科技服务成效显著。曾荒废近10年的100多亩果园，在团队2021年入驻后迅速焕新，成为国家级试验示范基地。团队发挥农机学科优势推进宜机化改造，使管理效益提升8-10倍，首年亩产达1300公斤，带动全村8000多亩荔枝园管理率从60%跃升至80%。目前团队持续开展品种选育，已有多个优异株系进入保护申报阶段。

华南农业大学荔枝科研实力雄厚，国家荔枝龙眼产业技术体系13个岗位专家中7位来自该校，全方位支撑产业链发展。截至目前，团队已育成19个荔枝新品种。2025年5月，华农与高州市政府签约，将深化校地合作，聚焦荔枝等特色产业技术攻关，助力茂名"百千万工程"，推动广东荔枝产业升级为高产值"金字招牌"。

文丨记者 陈亮
通讯员 陈芃辰 费思迎
图丨学校供图
翻译|钟佳
英文审校|黄宇洁