ALCALDE, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico State University researchers are getting fruity.

Agricultural researchers are studying the fruit of the jujube tree, which has been grown in China for 4,000 years. They want to know if the fruit can thrive in the mountains of northern New Mexico.

Trials are being conducted at NMSU's Sustainable Agriculture Science Center in Alcalde, near Espanola, and at the Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center to determine which cultivars grow best in New Mexico's semiarid climate.

The red-brown fruit is commonly called a Chinese date.

The jujube produces sweet fruit, and large differences in New Mexico between daytime and nighttime temperatures can spur sugar accumulation. Researchers also hope to determine the economic potential for the crop in New Mexico.