Agronomic Evaluation of Apricot-Plum Cultivars in Arid Regions: A Comprehensive Analysis of Phenotypic Diversity and Fruit Quality Traits

To optimize the varietal structure of fruit crops in arid environments and screen apricot-plum varieties suitable for cultivation in the Aksu region, a systematic agronomic evaluation was conducted to comprehensively analyze the phenotypic diversity and fruit quality traits of seven apricot-plum cultivars in Aksu, Xinjiang. In 2025, seven-year-old trees cultivated under identical and standardized agronomic conditions were selected as experimental materials. Key agronomic parameters, including flowering and fruiting phenology, floral and foliar morphological traits, fruit appearance properties, and internal nutritional profiles (soluble solids, soluble sugars, titratable acids, vitamin C, flavonoids, and total phenolics) were systematically measured. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied to quantitatively integrate these multi-dimensional datasets, identify key factors driving agronomic variation, and evaluate varietal adaptability to the arid climate. The results revealed a high degree of phenotypic diversity and significant variations in agronomic performance among the seven cultivars. Specifically, ‘Weihou’ recorded the highest single-fruit weight (111.27 g), indicating superior physical development, whereas ‘Konglongdan’ achieved the maximum soluble solid content (21.43%) and vitamin C level (96.41 mg/100 g), exhibiting exceptional nutritional quality. Despite these outstanding individual traits in specific cultivars, evaluating overall adaptability requires a holistic approach. PCA effectively captured 93.84% of the total variance through five extracted principal components, successfully modeling the interrelationships among vegetative vigor, reproductive morphology, and fruit chemical profiles. Based on the comprehensive agronomic scores, the varieties ranked as follows: ‘Fengweihuanghou’ > ‘Weihou’ > ‘Hongtianerong’ > ‘Konglongdan’ > ‘Weidi’ > ‘WeiWang’ > ‘Fengweimeigui’. Our findings identify ‘Fengweihuanghou’ as the most superior cultivar, with optimal agronomic adaptability and fruit quality balance under arid conditions. This study suggests that ‘Fengweihuanghou’ is a highly promising cultivar for large-scale cultivation in the Aksu region, providing a valuable reference for optimizing the local crop varietal structure, although further multi-year and multi-location validations are warranted.