**1. Peach**

Scientific name: *Prunus persica* Family: Rosaceae.

Peach has a good position among stone fruits and is rated as the third most important temperate fruit in India. With the introduction of chilling varieties, the crop is becoming popular in the subtropical plains of North India.

#### **1.1 Origin and distribution**

Early writers were of the opinion that peach is a native of Persia. The cultivated form of peach has come from China. The scientist from Spain introduced the Peach in America, and 50 years after Cortez, it was introduced in Mexico. Peach is grown as a commercial and home fruit in most of the temperate countries of the globe. The major peach-producing countries are Italy, the USA, Spain, China, France, Greece, Russia, Mexico, Japan and Argentina. In India, it is mainly cultivated in J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Punjab and Delhi.

#### **1.2 Importance and uses**

Peach is a delicious, juicy and highly palatable fruit. It is a rich source of vitamin A, iron and protein. The fruit is generally consumed fresh, but delicious products like squashed and dried products, frozen preserves, jam, nectar, juice, beverage, marmalade, etc. can be made from it. Peaches are also a good source of low-calorie diet.

#### **1.3 Morphological characters of plant**

Peach is a small- to medium-sized upright spreading, open topped deciduous tree. The trunk bark is dark brown and rough, and young shoots are smooth and pinkish in colour. The leaves are simple, large, oblong lanceolate, glabrous above and pubescent beneath. Vegetative and flower buds are borne in the axil of the leaves. Its flowers are numerous, sessile, white or pink appearing before the leaves. The flower is of perigynous type as the perianth surrounds the pistil but is not fused to it. The floral configuration is five sepals, five petals, thirty stamens and a single ovary. Fruits are fuzzy with free- or clingstone; however, the nectarines are fuzzless peaches. The stone is deeppitted and very hard. There are two well marked horticultural forms [1]. These include:

Clingstones: *Persica vulgaris*, Risso. Freestones: *Persica domestica*, Risso.

#### **1.4 Ornamental forms of peach**

a.*Prunus persica var. nucipersica*, Schneid: the nectarine.

Usually small, smooth-skinned fruit, and leaves strongly serrate but not always so.

b.*Prunus persica* var*.* platycarpa, Bailey: saucer peach.

Flattened, scarcely thick greenish fruit with a red cheek, medium in size with good flavour.

#### **1.5 Other species**

1.Prunus davidiana

Slender, willow-like tree. Smaller than common peach.

2.Prunus *mira.*

Small, bushy tree. Late blooming habit.

#### **1.6 Flowering and fruiting**

The flowers are perfect, solitary, sessile and pink coloured. Flowering starts in the first week of February and continues till the end of the month. Pollination is aided by insects, and the mode of pollination is homogamy. The pollen of peach is highly viable. Commercial peach varieties are self-fruitful and set good crops without cross-pollination. J.L. Hale is the only variety which is self-unfruitful and requires to be pollinated by other varieties. Fruit setting starts in the beginning of March. The fruits are borne after 1-year growth. A small proportion is borne on short-lived spurs also. The fruit is drupe, and the edible portion is the mesocarp [2].

#### **1.7 Climate**

In India, peaches are mainly grown in midhills at a height ranging from 1000 to 1600 m. They also do well in wet and humid climate with cold winter and

**83**

*Production Technology of Peach, Plum and Apricot in India*

Peaches are planted in the end of January in 1 m3

conditions and cold storage conditions at 10°C or below.

dry summer. It requires a chilling period below 7°C for breaking dormancy and

Peach thrives well on light sandy soils. Deep fertile loam or sandy loam with good drainage is considered to be the best. The pH ranges between 5.8 and 6.8. It

pits at a distance of 6.5 m apart.

cannot tolerate imperfect drainage. Fertile and heavy soils are hazardous.

In hills, the spacing adopted is 5 × 4 m. A spacing of 3 × 3 m is practised under high-density orchards. Immediately after planting, staking is provided. The support should be firm, preferably of bamboo or other wooden logs. Young plants should be

The peach is commercially propagated by means of budding and grafting. T-budding is the common method, and the season of budding is from April to September. Tongue grafting and wedge grafting are also done. Grafting is done in

Rootstock for peaches is raised from seeds of desi peach trees. The seeds of commercial cultivars like Sharbati and Khurmani are also used. Peach plants can also be raised on peach-almond hybrid, apricot, almond seedling, plum and behmi (*Prunus mira*). Most commonly used rootstock are the seedlings of wild peach. Peach seeds need chilling in hours to germinate. The process of meeting the cold requirement is called stratification. The stratification of peach seeds can be done under natural

Peach seedlings from stratified seeds planted in the nursery beds during January become buddable in June. The grafting can be done when the seedlings are still in the nursery beds, or these can be uprooted and brought at one place for grafting.

The peach is trained to the modified leader system. Plants should be headed back to a height of 90–100 cm at the time of planting. All the branches on the plants are also cut back to two buds. Three to five laterals which are well spaced are allowed to develop around the trunk. The lowest branch should not be below 40–50 cm from

After planting, the plant is cut back to 40–60 cm above the ground level. During the growing season, about three to six laterals, in addition to the central leader, are produced on the tree. In the first winter pruning, three to four scaffold branches

watered at frequent intervals. Stock sprouts should be removed carefully.

flowering. The chilling requirement varies from 200 to 850 hours.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92884*

**1.8 Soil**

**1.9 Planting and aftercare**

**1.10 Propagation**

December–January.

**1.11 Raising of rootstocks**

**1.12 Grafting operations**

**1.13 Training**

the ground level.

**1.14 Open-centre system**

dry summer. It requires a chilling period below 7°C for breaking dormancy and flowering. The chilling requirement varies from 200 to 850 hours.
