Agronomic and Environmental Suitability of ‘Tabtim Siam’ and ‘Xishi’ Pomelo in Dabu County (China)

It is essential to introduce new cultivars to diversify the pomelo industry in China. This paper compared the agronomic and environmental performances of new Tabtim Siam (TS) and Xishi (XS) pomelos with the local cultivars (Red-fleshed Sweet (RS) and Shatian (ST)) in Dabu County. We have generally evaluated the phenological, physiological, fruit quality, stress resistance, and storage characteristics. Findings indicated that TS and XS grew up well, and the phenological stages were adjusted to the local conditions. They had a high pollen viability and equivalent photosynthetic capacity. XS and TS had the highest yield and good fruit quality in terms of higher edible rates, more juice rate, and balanced sugar–acid content. Both the introduced cultivars had greater cold resistance compared with the control with lower semi-lethal temperatures. Polyethylene film at low temperatures to preserve the quality of storage was effective. Compared with RS and ST, TS and XS had a higher price in the market economically. The use of molecular markers (SCoT and SRAP) was able to discriminate all cultivars, which proved genetic uniqueness. In summary, TS and XS have potential to be grown in the Meizhou area and provide high quality, good adaptability, and greater market potential.