**1.22 Crop regulation**

Heavy flowering and fruiting are the characteristic features of peach trees resulting in small-sized, poor-quality fruits and reduction of flowering in the subsequent season. Hence for production of quality fruits, crop regulation through thinning is essential in peach. The criteria for fruit thinning in peach are based on leaf to fruit ratio and spacing between fruits per tree. Generally 30:40 leaves per

fruit is the appropriate ratio. Application of ethephon (300 ppm) at petal fall in July Elberta is recommended for optimum fruit thinning. However, in Redhaven peach, ethephon (600 ppm), 20–30 days after fruit set when the fruitlets are 20–25 cm in diameter, should be used for thinning. Hand thinning at 5–7.5 cm fruit spacing before pit hardening stage is equally effective.

#### **1.23 Maturity, harvesting, storage and postharvest management**

Harvesting of peaches at proper stage of maturity is essential as the postharvest quality and storage life of fruits are controlled by maturity. Various indices used for judging fruit maturity used are the number of days from full bloom, calendar dates, fruit size, firmness, pit discoloration, freeness of pit and change of ground colour. Days required from flowering to maturity in different cultivars vary from 78 to 127. Early-season varieties like Flordasun takes 81 days, Alexander 86 days, mid-season July Elberta 101 days and late-season cv. Elberta takes 127 days from full bloom to harvest. Ground colour variation in conjunction with flesh firmness is one of the best maturity indices in peaches. Peach fruits do not mature uniformly, and hence several pickings are needed during harvesting. Hand picking is the standard method for harvesting fruits. The picking containers are lined with cushion materials to avoid cuts and bruises. Immediately after harvesting, fruits are stored at a cool place or marketed. Preharvest application of calcium nitrate at the rate of 1.5% increases storage life of peaches.

#### **1.24 Storage**

Peaches have a shorter storage life than most other temperate fruits. The recommended cold storage conditions are 0–0.3°C and 85–90% relative humidity. In these conditions, freestone peaches and nectarines can be kept for 2 weeks and clingstone for 4 weeks. Precooled peaches can be stored for 28–36 days. In controlled atmosphere storage containing 5% CO2 and 1–2% O2 at 0°C peaches can be stored up to 42 days. The peaches came into bearing after 2 years of planting in the field. The economic bearing life of peach plant is about 20–30 years. The yielding capacity increases with the age of the plant. The average yield of fully grown trees of different varieties varies from 50 to 125 kg in hills. In conventional plantation, 7–10 tones/ha and, under high density with Tatura trellis system of training, about 23 tones/ha yield have been obtained.

#### **1.25 Pests**

Peach leaf curl aphid. Peach black aphid. Chafer beetle. Peach fruit fly. Flat-headed borer.

#### **1.26 Peach leaf curl aphid (***Brachycaudus helichrysi***)**

This is the most serious pest of peach. They also infest plum plants. The aphids suck sap from the buds and sprouting foliage causing curling, yellowing and thickening of leaves. The activity of aphid is seen with the emergence of new growth during March. Floral buds also become weak which results in poor setting.

**87**

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

The pest is controlled by spraying of 0.025% methyl demeton (200 ml metasystox 25 EC) or 0.03% dimethoate (200 ml Rogar 30 EC) in 200 litres of water

Fruit tends to produce split seeds, which limits this variety's usefulness in

**State Early Mid-season Late**

July Elberta, Kanto 5, Shimizu Hakuto, Sunhaven

CO Smith

July Elberta, Alexander Crawford Early J.H. Hale, Alexander and J.H. Hale Parrot Delux, J.H. Hale Peregrine

Alton, World's Earliest, Early White Giant, Redhaven, Stark

Early Candour, Redhaven,

Saharanpur Prabhat

Peshwari, Quetta, July Elberta,

Red Gold

Sunhaven

7–10 days before flowering. The spray should be repeated after 5 days.

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

**1.27 Control**

**1.28 Diseases**

Shot hole. Peach leaf curl. Powdery mildew. Brown rot. Viruses. Crown gall.

**1.29 Varieties**

Himachal Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (midhills) Jammu and Kashmir

*1.29.1 Candour*

canning.

*1.29.2 Redhaven*

*1.29.3 Alexander*

*1.29.4 Elberta*

Freestone variety.

Suitable for canning. Large, round fruit.

Early peach of the season. Yellow and medium–sized fruit.

Early variety suited to midhills. Medium-sized round fruit. Yellow skin with red tinge.

Firm, fine-textured, melting flesh.

Excellent, early-season cultivar. Medium- to large-sized round fruit.

Smooth, beetroot purple skin with green patches. Soft, greenish white, juicy, sweet, aromatic flesh.
