Phenological Development, Yield Performance, and Fruit Quality of Fourteen Peach Cultivars Across Four Growing Seasons
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71318/r2nejh09Keywords:
Adaptivity, Stone Fruit, Peach Selection, White-Fleshed Peach, Yellow-Fleshed PeachAbstract
Demographic diversity and the broadening range of consumer preferences have intensified demand for peach cultivars that differ in skin color, flesh color, flavor profile, and seasonal availability. To address these needs, the performance of 14 peach cultivars was evaluated over four years with respect to Julian day number, bloom and harvest phenology, yield, and fruit quality attributes. Across seasons, ‘Snow Giant’, ‘PF 35‑007’, and ‘O’Henry’ were identified as early‑, mid‑, and late‑blooming cultivars, respectively; however, all three matured late in the season. Early‑maturing cultivars included ‘PF5D Big’, ‘PF8 Ball’, and ‘Rich Lady’; mid‑season cultivars included ‘PF9A‑007’, ‘PF11 Peach’, ‘Sierra Rich’, ‘Klondike’, and ‘PF 28‑007’; and late‑maturing cultivars included ‘PF 24C’, ‘Giant Elberta’, ‘Snow Giant’, ‘PF 35‑007’, and ‘O’Henry’. Trees of ‘PF9A‑007’, ‘PF 24C’, and ‘PF 35‑007’ were precocious. Trees of ‘PF9A‑007’, ‘PF 35‑007’, and ‘PF 24C’ consistently produced high yields, whereas ‘Giant Elberta’, ‘PF5D Big’, ‘PF8 Ball’, and ‘Rich Lady’ were among the lowest‑yielding cultivars in most years and in four‑year averages. Early‑maturing cultivars (‘PF5D Big’, ‘PF8 Ball’, ‘Rich Lady’) produced the smallest fruit (191.5–221.8 g), while late‑maturing cultivars (‘Giant Elberta’, ‘Snow Giant’, ‘PF 35‑007’, ‘O’Henry’) produced the largest fruit (329–354 g). Fruit size varied widely among Paul Friday (“PF”) cultivars when averaged across four years. ‘PF 35‑007’ produced the largest fruit, ‘PF11 Peach’ produced medium‑sized fruit, and ‘PF8 Ball’ produced the smallest. Soluble solids concentration (SSC) also varied among cultivars, with ‘O’Henry’ consistently exhibiting the highest SSC in three of four years, whereas ‘PF8 Ball’ had the lowest. These findings highlight the importance of aligning cultivar selection with harvest timing, market demand, and labor availability to optimize production efficiency and fruit quality in commercial peach orchards.
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