ABSTRACT
Peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch), native to China, is an important deciduous crop of temperate regions. Globally, production-wise, it ranks 3rd, just behind apples and pears. The fruits are a rich source of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. Thriving well in deep, fertile, well-drained, sandy loam to clay loam soils, peaches need about 600–900 chilling hours for successful cultivation; however, some low chill cultivars can be successfully grown under subtropical conditions. The cultivars of peach are categorized into two major groups, namely, clingstone and freestone based on the adherence of pulp to the stone. The flesh color and texture are the other predominant factors distinguishing peach cultivars. Flowers in peach develop in the leaf axils after one-year-old growth. Pollination occurs through insects. The fruit development in peach follows a double-sigmoid curve. The fruit is drupe, with meso-carp being its edible portion, and follows a double-sigmoid growth curve pattern. Fruits are closely spaced on the branches. Both flower and fruit thinning are essential to improve size, yield, and quality. Fruits being climacteric in nature are harvested when physiologically mature. For yellow-fleshed varieties, the change of the fruit color from green to light green, and for white-fleshed varieties, the change from green to whitish green or creamy white or cream are the indicators of harvest maturity. Although there is the availability of diverse genetic 248material having wider adaptability, there is utmost need to strengthen the breeding program. The future thrust areas for peach improvement should stress upon improved cultivars resistant to spring frost, insect-pest and diseases, extended harvest season, improved fruit size, weight, color, flavor and aroma, lengthening of shelf life, regulating tree size, and broadening the adaptive range.
