Introduction:

Peach is a popular stone fruit grown in warm temperate and sub-tropical climates. It is widely cultivated due to its attractive color, excellent quality, and taste. Major peach-growing regions include Europe, North America, South Africa, Asia, and Australia. Nectarines are smooth-skin mutants of peaches, smaller in size and non-pubescent.

Uses:

• Fresh consumption as a table fruit
• Canned, dried, frozen, juice, jam, and beverages
• Nutrient-rich and used as baby food

Nutritive Value:

• Total Soluble Solids (TSS): 8-13°B
• Total Sugars: 8%
• Ascorbic Acid: 6-13 mg
• Carotenoids:
  • White flesh cultivars: 0.19-0.53%
  • Yellow flesh cultivars: 0.75-0.79%
• Peach Kernel Composition:
  • Fats: 39-55%
  • Proteins: 23-30%
  • Crude fiber: 14.8%
  • Minerals: 2.7%
• Glycosides:
  • Prunacin (Pulp)
  • Amygdalin (Seeds)

Medicinal Properties:

• Peach kernel oil: Used in food, cosmetics, cattle feed, pharmaceuticals, and bio-fertilizers
• Flowers & Leaves: Used as a purgative, anthelmintic, and for treating urinary stones, kidney function issues, and indigestion

Origin & Distribution:

• Origin: China
• India: Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Nilgiris, and North-Eastern states (Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur)
• P. behmi (a natural hybrid of almond and peach) is used as a rootstock for plum, peach, and almonds
• Nectarine: Prunus persica var. nucipersica

Morphology:

• Low-headed, wide-spread tree
• Drupe fruit with a superior ovary and velvety skin

Climate & Soil:

Climatic Factors:

• Limiting Factors: Low winter temperature, spring frost, hail storms, high humidity
• Chilling Hours: 7.2°C more effective
• Temperature:
  • Below 2-3°C: Dormancy does not break
  • High temperature in December-January leads to bloom abnormality and fruit set failure
  • High winter temperature prolongs dormancy and increases chilling requirements

Soil Requirements:

• Mild to moderate steep hill slopes are ideal
• Avoid deep valleys due to water logging sensitivity
• Sandy soils with a depth of 7.0 m are ideal
• Oxygen supply is crucial; avoid compact soils with <10-20% pores
• Ideal pH: 5.8 to 6.8

Propagation:

• T-budding is commonly practiced (Autumn season preferred)
• Cuttings: Leafy succulent softwood and hardwood cuttings
• Peach Rootstock:
  • Seeds from late cultivars preferred
  • Removal of seed coat and GA3 treatment reduce stratification period
  • Nematode attack common, but ‘Nenaguard’ and ‘Okinoura’ are resistant

Other Rootstocks:

• P. armeniaca (Apricot) – Root-knot nematode resistant
• P. amygdalis (Almond) – Dwarfing rootstock
• P. berseyi, P. tomentosa (Western Sand Cherry) – Dwarfing
• P. salicina (Nanking Cherry) – Medicinal value, produces large trees
• Micropropagation: Axillary shoots and embryo culture are successful

Planting:

• One-year-old plants preferred
• Spacing: 4-6 m in square system
• Spring planting is better than autumn planting
• Whitewash tree trunks to prevent sunburn

Training & Pruning:

Training Systems:

1. Modified leader
2. Open center
3. V-shaped Tatura trellis
4. Pillar
5. High-density vase
6. 2-scaffold vase (277-625 plants/ha)
7. Belgium bench

For High-Density Planting (HDP):

• Hedge row: 519-889 plants/ha
• Tatura trellis: 666 plants/ha
• Meadow orchard: 13,333 plants/ha

Pruning:

• 1st year: Cut stem at 61 cm, allow 3-4 well-spaced branches
• 2nd year: Allow 2 well-spaced secondary branches per main branch
• Annual pruning: Maintain open center, remove diseased/criss-cross branches, stimulate new growth (41-61 cm)

Nutrition:

• Balanced Nutrition: FYM 40 kg/tree
• For Indian Conditions:
  • N: 55-65 kg/ha
  • P: 55-65 kg/ha
  • K: 110-135 kg/ha
  • NPK (g/year): 20:15:15
• Micronutrient Deficiency Correction:
  • 0.5% ZnSO4
  • 0.2% Boric acid
  • 0.2% CuSO4

Irrigation & Intercropping:

• Critical soil moisture is required, especially at fruit maturity
• Shallow soils need frequent irrigation
• Intercropping: Cowpea, soybean, turmeric, pineapple
• Green Manuring: Short-duration legumes (e.g., sunhemp, daincha, beans)

Crop Regulation:

• Thinning: Improves fruit quality
• Ethrel (50-100 ppm): Increases fruit size and weight
• DNOC (1000-2500 ppm): Pre-bloom application effective

Physiological Disorders:

1. Split Pit & Gumming: Caused by sudden rain after drought
2. Sunscald: Exposure to direct sun; controlled by painting trunks

Harvest & Yield:

• Maturity: 78-127 days after flowering
• Indicators: Fruit size, firmness, pit discolouration, sugar:TSS ratio
• Yield: 7-10 t/ha (HDP: 78 t/ha)
• Growth retardants (Alar, Ethrel) enhance ripening and quality

Storage & Post-Harvest Management:

• Highly perishable (2-3 days)
• Pre-cooling reduces field heat
• Storage:
  • Hydrocooling (10°C)
  • 0°C with 85-90% RH (28-36 days)
  • Controlled Atmosphere Storage (CAS) effective
• Storage Diseases: Brown rot, grey mold, whiskers rot
• Control: Radiation treatment, hot water dipping