Peach (Prunus persica)

• Family: Rosaceae
• Origin: Northwest China

Varieties

• Early Season (April – May): Killikrankie, Floridasun
• Mid-Season (June – July): Shaw Pasand
• Late Season (July – August): Red Shanghai

Notable Cultivar: ‘Reliance’ is known for its cold hardiness and disease resistance

Soil and Climate

• Soil: Red lateritic soil, good drainage, high organic matter
• pH: 5.8 to 6.2
• Elevation: Can be grown at 2000 m above mean sea level

• Planting Material: One-year-old budded plants
• Planting Season: Ideal season: June to December
• Spacing: 4 m × 4 m spacing for commercial planting, Pits of 60 cm × 60 cm × 60 cm

Manures and Fertilizers

• FYM: 25 kg/tree/year
• N: 500 g/tree/year
• P & K: 1 kg each/tree/year

Training and Pruning

• System: Open centre system
• Time: December – January
• Remove dried, diseased, water shoots, and criss-cross branches annually

Plant Protection; Lichens: Spray 1 kg quick lime in 20 litres of water immediately after pruning

Pests

Fruit Fly:

• Spray Malathion 50 EC @ 2 ml/litre water
• Set up Methyl Eugenol 1% trap + Malathion 50 EC (2 ml/litre) between 6 – 8 a.m.
• Use fish meal trap:
  • Polythene bags with 5 gm wet fish meal + 1 ml Dichlorvos soaked in cotton
  • 50 traps/ha
  • Renew fish meal every 20 days, Dichlorvos every 7 days

Diseases

• Leaf Curl (caused by aphids): Spray Methyl Demeton 25 EC @ 2 ml/litre
• Powdery Mildew: Spray Carbendazim @ 0.5 g/litre. Or dust Sulphur @ 25 kg/ha

Yield; 10 – 15 kg of fruits per tree/year under good maintenance