Peach Production Plan By GROWTECH
Importance
Peach, considered the "Queen" of fruits, holds great importance among stone fruits and thrives in sub-tropical or temperate climates. It is highly regarded and comes second only to apples in terms of popularity. Fresh peaches are rich in essential nutrients such as potassium, iron, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin C. With over 80% water content and 7% dietary fiber, peaches contribute to our daily fiber requirements. Moreover, they possess anti-aging properties, aid in detoxification, enhance digestion, and promote cellular health. Additionally, peaches are beneficial for strengthening the immune system. Renowned for their delicious taste, peaches exhibit an attractive flavor and aroma.
Soil and climate
Peaches are successfully cultivated in various types of soils depending on rootstock used. However, light or heavy loam soil with proper drainage is preferable. Peach trees particularly grow well in sandy and light soils. Cold climate is suitable for its cultivation. Low temperatures, especially during winters, are crucial for eliminating its dormancy. Excessive humidity and salinity is not suitable for peach trees. It requires approximately 200 to 1000 hours of temperatures below 5 degrees Celsius (chilling). A mild warm temperature of 27 to 30 degrees Celsius is necessary to produce fruits with good taste and quality. Peach orchards should be planted at 600-1500m elevation.
Suitable areas
In Pakistan's northern region, peach cultivation is a traditional. The primary growing areas for peaches include Peshawar, Swat valley, Malakand, Kalat, Para-chanar, Chitral, Hazara, Quetta, Pashin, Ziarat, Mastung, Skardu, Hunza, Murree hills and certain parts of the Kohistan hills. Peach is generally considered as the fruit of cold regions, but low-chill varieties (Florida king and Early grand) are successfully cultivated in the warm regions of Punjab as well. The peach fruit grown in Punjab's climate ripens approximately 1.5 to 2 months earlier than the fruit grown in Swat. Due to its early availability, it fetches a good price in the market.
Sowing Time
The best planting time for peach is from middle of the January to first week of February. If precautionary measures are taken, planting can be done until the end of February. The peach tree sheds its leaves every year and sprouts new leaves in the spring season. The process of leaf sprouting begins 10-15 days after transplantation. However, transplantation at the time of frosting should be avoided.
Propagation Method
The most suitable rootstock for peach propagation is the Peshawar local peach seedlings. At NARC (National Agricultural Research Center) in Pakistan, the peach rootstock GF677 has shown promising results in terms of both yield and fruit quality. T-budding is effectively carried out on one-year-old rootstock during the summer, while cleft grafting is performed in late winter. Commercially viable varieties (produced by vegetative method) are planted in early spring before sprouting. The square planting system is employed with a planting distance of 7-8 meters, varying depending on soil type, rootstock, and variety.
Transplantation
Arrange the plant rows from north to south, ensuring a 20-foot gap between them. A distance of 15 feet between plants should be maintained in a row. When cultivating any field, make sure that even when the plants reach maturity, cultural practices can be performed within the rows of plants. After marking the plant locations, set aside the upper one-third portion of soil while digging one-meter-deep and one-meter-wide holes. Keep these holes open for about three weeks. Thoroughly mix one part fertile topsoil, one part high-quality compost, and one part cow dung manure. Fill the holes with this mixture, making sure to raise the surrounding ground about ten inches higher than the surface level. Using the soil extracted from the holes, create a two-foot radius circle around the hole's mouth. Fill this circle with water, and once the water is absorbed, refill it again. The soil within the hole will settle approximately one and a half to two inches higher than the surrounding ground. After six to seven weeks of watering the holes, plant the seedlings. Dispose of the soil used for watering the holes from the constructed circles in the fields. Depending on the size of the plant roots or seedlings, dig a small hole and plant the seedling in such a way that the graft joint is clearly above the ground.
Pruning
For obtaining optimal yields, it is essential to prune the trees appropriately, every year. Trim the branches that grow upward more vigorously, while giving a gentler cut to the ones that grow from the sides, as this will increase the chances of fruit-bearing on those branches.
Plant age at the time of fruiting
Generally, a peach plant is transplanted into the field at the age of one year. In the third year after transplantation, the tree starts bearing fruit, and from the fourth year onwards, it begins to yield a full harvest. It is advisable to avoid transplantation of plants that are older than one year.
Removing excessive fruits
The peach plant bears a very high quantity of fruit in clusters. However, all the fruit cannot attain good health and quality. Therefore, it is essential to reduce the number of fruits to ensure healthier and better-quality produce. If this is not done, the size of the fruit remains small, and its quality suffers. Moreover, the tree's ability to bear fruit in the following year also diminishes. After the first of March, when the fruits on the tree starts become noticeable, it is advised to remove extra fruits. Before plucking the fruit from the branch, hold the branch lightly, so weaker fruits fall down naturally. Remove the fruits on the branch in a way that leaves a 3-4 inch gap between each fruit. By following this method, the grower will obtain healthy and high-quality fruit.
Ripening time
In Punjab's, the Early Grand and Florida King varieties are ready to harvest by April 15th and April 30th, respectively. It should be noted that apart from Punjab, no other apricot variety is available in the market during the month of April. At that time, the Swati apricots are about the size of almonds. Consequently, the apricots from Punjab fetch a good price in the market.
Number of fruits per plant
With proper care, a peach tree of medium age (older than 3 years) can yield upto 2 to 3 monds per years. This can result in a yield of approximately 350 to 400 monds per acre.
Approved varieties
In KPK Early grand, Florida king 6-A and 8-A, Jubilee, Golden, Robin, and Wiggin are cultivated. However in Balochistan, few other varieties like Golden early, Shah Pasand and Shireen are being cultivated. Early grand and Florida king are low chill varieties which can also be cultivated in few areas of Punjab.
Fertilizer recommendation
Use well rotten farmyard manure (FYM) in the field, as improper application can lead to excessive dampness, which is detrimental to the plants and can cause a significant increase in Termites attack. For effective prevention of termites, apply 3% Carbofuran @ 100 grams per plant, 2 feet inside and 1 foot outside the root zone of the soil and mix it well while ploughing. Balanced nutrition is crucial for successful fruit production and maintaining optimal plant health, as any deficiency in essential nutrients can result in reduced yields. The quantity of fertilizers should be determined based on soil conditions and the age of the plants. Conducting a balanced analysis of the soil is crucial for making informed decisions regarding appropriate crop nutrition requirement. At GROWTECH, we conduct soil analysis of entire field (by dividing the field into different nutritional zones) with the help of satellite, for accurate assessment and cost-effective decision-making on nutrient management plan. Apply complete dose of organic fertilizer, phosphorus and potassium in December. However, nitrogenous fertilizer should be divided in two portions. Apply half of it immediately after pruning in January, and the remaining half in March when plants start to bear fruit. During fruiting, it is more suitable to use Calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) compound fertilizer instead of urea, as calcium reduces the risk of blossom-end rot and fruit cracking. Soils with higher pH levels often show a deficiency of micronutrients. Therefore, multi-micronutrients (10%) @ 250 milliliters per 100 liters of water should be sprayed on plants, when the fruit reaches the size of a pea.
Note: The use of potassium is highly essential for improving fruit ripening and enhancing taste.
Fertilizer dose (according to the age of tree)
| Age of the tree (years) | Dose per Tree FYM (Kg) |
Dose per Tree Nitrogen (g) |
Dose per Tree Phosphorus (g) |
Dose per Tree Potash (g) |
Dose per Tree Zinc (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At planting | 10 | - | 180 | - | 20 |
| 1 | 10 | 150 | 100 | - | - |
| 2 | 15 | 150 | 150 | - | - |
| 3 | 20 | 200 | 200 | - | - |
| 4 | 25 | 250 | 225 | 225 | 20 |
| 5 | 30 | 400 | 400 | 400 | - |
| 6 and onwards | 40 | 600 | 500 | 500 | 20 |
GROWTECH recommends different doses of fertilizers according to soil analysis reports and existing fertility zones present in the field.
Irrigation
Only monsoon rains are not enough for fruit-bearing trees due to inconsistent rainfall. Sometimes there are long intervals between rain showers, during which the plants start to wither and die because of the intensity of heat and dryness. Therefore, there should also be a reliable alternative water management system in such situation. Keep the water supply consistent when the flowers bloom and the fruits develop. After planting a new tree, start watering it from approximately one and a half feet away from all sides of the tree trunk, extending up to three feet outward. In hot and dry weather, irrigate at intervals of 10-15 days. Water scarcity during the fruit ripening stage leads to a decrease in fruit production.
Weeds and their management
Weeds can be controlled mechanically through hoeing, rotavating and disc ploughing. However, herbicides provide effective control against weeds. Spray, Glyphosate @ 1.6 liter/acre or Paraquat @ 1.2 liter/acre (mixed in 120 liter of water) on weeds. Avoid spraying on crop by using the shield.
Diseases and their management
| Disease | Product | Dose | Application method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown rot Peach scab |
Azoxystrobin + Chlorothalonil 56% Trifloxystrobin + Tebuconazole 75% Azoxystrobin + Tebuconazole 50% Copper oxychloride + Kasugamycin 47% |
150 ml in 100 liter water 45 g in 100 liter water 65 ml in 100 liter water 125 g in 100 liter water |
In case of attack In case of attack In case of attack In case of attack |
| Gummosis Powdery mildew |
Azoxystrobin + Difenaconazole 32.5% | 100 ml in 100 liter water | In case of attack |
| Gummosis | Dimethomorph + Mancozeb | 1 kg per acre | Through flooding |
| Fruit-end rot | Metalaxyl + Mancozeb 72% (use calcium fertilizers) |
250 g in 100 liter water | Spray |
| Bacterial spot | Copper oxychloride + Kasugamycin 47% | 125 g in 100 liter water | In case of attack |
Copper-oxychloride + Kasugamycine 47% WP
Copper-oxychloride + Kasugamycine is an innovative combination product that combines the properties of a fungicide and bactericide. Its dual mode of action makes it a strong and efficient solution for protecting crops against both fungal and bacterial diseases. It has both contact and systemic mode of action. When applied at the right time, it ensures the cultivation of disease-free crops with exceptional quality produce. Additionally, it offers extended duration control and fulfill the requirement of copper (important micro-nutrient) in plants.
Insect/Pest and their Management
1. Fruit fly
The female fly uses its needle-like ovipositor to lay eggs inside the ripening fruits. On hatching, the maggots start feeding on the fruit pulp. Infested fruits exhibit numerous dark green depression caused by the ovipositor insertion. The fruit begins to rot due to fungal and bacterial infections introduced through the puncture holes, as well as from the maggots' feeding activities, ultimately resulting in premature fruit drop.
Cultural control:
Infested fruits should be burned or buried (at the depth of 3 feet). Pheromone trap can be used for controlling male flies.
Chemical control:
Alpha cypermethrine @ 100ml/100 liter of water Or Trichlorofon @ 250gm/100 liter of water (But its toxicity is high so it should be the least option)
Caution: Spray before flowering or after fruiting
2. Leaf miner
The larvae create shelter and nourish themselves by rolling and tying leaves together. However, when they feed on the growing points of young plants, it may lead to unwanted branching. In addition, newly hatched larvae may enter blossoms and harm the developing fruit, causing it to abort and drop from the tree.
Chemical control:
Lambda-cyhalothrin 2.5% EC @ 100 ml in 100 liter water
Harvesting
The appropriate time for harvesting peaches begins in May and continues until the end of September. The fruit should only be harvested when its color has completely changed. Ripe peaches display a deep yellow or creamy white color, although the exact color can vary depending on the specific cultivar. After harvesting, the fruits should be carefully placed in suitable boxes and packed with caution. It is recommended to place only one layer of fruit in each box to prevent spoilage. Delaying the harvest after the fruit has ripened should be avoided as it can adversely affect the quality of the fruit.
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