ARS | Publication request: RESEARCH YIELDS SIZE-CONTROLLING ROOTSTOCKS FOR PEACH PRODUCTION.

Submitted to: California Agriculture
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: August 4, 2004
Publication Date: April 1, 2005
Citation: Dejong, T.M., Johnson, R.S., Doyle, J.F., Ramming, D.W. 2005. Research yields size-controlling rootstocks for peach production. California Agriculture. 59:(2):80-83

Interpretive Summary: Normal size fruit trees are very vigorous and large making pruning, thinning and harvesting difficult. Three size controlling rootstocks are being recommended for commercial use in peach and nectarine production. These rootstocks reduce tree growth but tended to have smaller size fruit in some instances. Smaller trees reduce the time to summer and winter prune, thin and pick fruit. Smaller ladders can be used with the smaller trees. This will reduce the labor costs and improve production efficiency of peach and nectarine orchards.

Technical Abstract: Three rootstocks from this trial are currently being recommended for commercial use as size-controlling rootstocks for California peach and nectarine production. 'Hiawatha' is a public domain cultivar and is already being commerically propagated. K146-43 and P30-135 are being licensed jointly by UC and USDA for commercial use and will be marketed as "CONTROLLER 5" and "CONTROLLER 9", respectively. These are anticipated to be the first in a series of size-controlling peach rootstocks developed at KREC that will eventually be made available to California growers to reduce labor costs and improve the production efficiency of California peach orchards.