Program overview
Pomology is a specialized branch of horticulture that essentially studies how to grow fruit trees better, make fruits tastier, more durable, and more profitable. You'll likely take courses in fruit tree physiology, fruit tree breeding, fruit tree cultivation, and post-harvest fruit handling. The core is understanding the entire process from germination to fruiting—like how pruning branches can boost yields, how to use biotechnology to breed disease-resistant varieties, or how to control storage temperatures to keep fruit fresh longer. China is a major producer and consumer of fruits, and many universities (such as China Agricultural University, Northwest A&F University, and Huazhong Agricultural University) have strong pomology research teams, with extensive practice bases for specialty fruits like citrus, apples, grapes, and lychees. If you enjoy hands-on experiments, don't mind working in the field, and have a passion for eating fruit, this major is a great fit. There will be plenty of field internships—like pruning branches in orchards, measuring sugar content, and doing cross-pollination—which are quite fun.