Ili-Tianshan is the primary place of origin of Mains sieversii (Led.) Roem, the ancestor of apple

摘要

Thank to numerous rivers, plenty rain, mild temperature, deep soil and the hiding geographical location, the Tianshan Mountains around the Hi River in China and Kazakhstan (hereafter for short "Ili-Tianshan") became the suitable place for the Malus sieversii (Led.) Roem. Based on statistical data obtained, in 1959 and 1977, wild apple forest in Ili-Tianshan, covered an area of 17,741Ha~(-2), 71.4% of the total wild fruit forest (24, 848ha~2) and 85% of the total wild apple forests area (20,807hm~2) in China and Kazakhstan. A sample research inferred that there existed 500-700 different types of wild apple in Ili-Tianshan. Because of the fruit being sweet, big-sized and productive, the Malus sieversii (Led.) Roem could be directly introduced by the ancient people from one location into another. Thus, as early as in the 3rd century, there have occurred favorable-scale apple planting and processing industries in Zhangye, Jiuquan of Gansu and western area from them. At the beginning of the 13th century, below the wild apple forest of Huocheng County, was established a political center to exercise its control of the central Asia in the upper reaches of Ili River, where flourished planted apple trees, so named as the "Apple City". The only origin of the seed of these bred apples, with more than 1,000-year history, is the Malus sievrii (Led.) Roem in Di-Tianshan. So, it concludes that Ili-Tianshan is the main place of origin of the M sieversii.