An Overview of the Worldwide Plum Breeding

Plum is a significant fruit tree worldwide, with the two main species being P. domestica and P. salicina. Chinese plum, originating from China, exhibits high genetic heterogeneity and abundant genetic variation in fruit traits. It is speculated that wild Chinese plums still exist in the Yangtze River basin. Throughout Chinese history, the plum cultivation and varieties were recorded by many secretaries of the Qin Dynasty, the Han Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty, the Northern Song Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty. Similarly, in other countries, such as Greece, France, Finland, the Czech Republic, and Russia, there are written records of plum, describing its origin and 14 varieties. Plum was gradually introduced into the European continent during the Roman era, and numerous new varieties have since been cultivated to improve the fruit’s quality, commercial value, and meet market demand. There were currently 88 independently bred plum varieties in China that have passed variety approval and been officially published. Breeding traits of common concern include fruit size, peel color, polyphenols, soluble solids, fruit maturity, cold resistance, disease resistance, etc. Breeding methods range from traditional methods to molecular-assisted breeding, tissue culture, and transgenic breeding. Many excellent varieties with good fresh food quality, storage and transportation resistance, and adaptability have been bred through continuous improvement of breeding methods, promoting the development of the global plum industry. China is the world’s largest plum producer, accounting for 54.94% of total production and 74.75% of total cultivation area worldwide. The rich natural resources of plum in China provide solid material and diversity guarantee for germplasm exploration and breeding application. To further strengthen the international advantages of plum germplasm resources and cultivation areas in China, and to enhance the core competitiveness of national breeding, this study reviewed the global history process of plum breeding and improvement, including the origin, dissemination, early cultivation history of plum in the world, recent research on the main breeding traits, and commercial breeding strategies for modern plum.