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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Byron, Georgia » Fruit and Tree Nut Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #202984

Title: Gulfcrimson Peach

Author
item KREWER, G - UGA, TIFTON, GA
item Beckman, Thomas
item CHAPARRO, J - UNIV OF FLORIDA
item SHERMAN, W - UNIV OF FLORIDA

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/16/2008
Publication Date: 8/1/2008
Citation: Krewer, G.W., Beckman, T.G., Chaparro, J.X., Sherman, W.B. 2008. Gulfcrimson Peach. HortScience. 43:1596-1597.

Interpretive Summary: Current peach varieties utilized in the early season fresh market peach shipping industry of the southeastern United States are no longer suitable for profitable commercial production. Peach germplasm is needed with superior fruit quality, including non-melting flesh, high soluble solids, balanced acidity and fragrance in addition to desirable traits such as high red blush, yellow-orange ground color, round fruit shape and large size. Gulfcrimson peach was jointly developed and released by the USDA-ARS, the University of Georgia and the University of Florida to provide an attractive, early ripening, non-melting, yellow fleshed peach for the fresh-market shipping industry. Gulfcrimson is adapted to moderate-chilling areas such as the lower coastal plain of the southeastern United States. Gulfcrimson ripens with June Gold. Best adaptation will be in areas where Flordaking peach and Sunlite nectarine have proven reliable. Trees of Gulfcrimson produce an attractive, sweet tasting, yellow and non-melting flesh fruit intended for the fresh fruit market. It is expected to produce fruit with tree-ripened aroma and taste while retaining firmness for longer shelf life than fruit from conventional melting-flesh cultivars.

Technical Abstract: Gulfcrimson peach is jointly released for grower trials by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (Byron, GA), Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station and Florida Agricultural Experiment Station. Gulfcrimson was previously tested as AP01-7 and originated from a cross of AP96-8 x AP98-5. Both parents are of complex origin. Gulfcrimson has an estimated winter chilling requirement (hours below 7C) of 400 hours and typically blooms just before Sunlite nectarine in southwest Georgia. Flowers are large, showy, pink and self-fertile. Gulfcrimson ripens 90 to 95 days after full bloom, typically with June Gold peach. Fruit are clingstone when soft ripe. Flesh is non-melting, yellow and contains some red pigment mostly in the exterior half. There is little or no red in the flesh at the pit. Flesh is firm with good sweetness and does not brown readily on bruised or cut surfaces. Pits are medium small and have little tendency to split even when crop loads are low. Chief advantages of Gulfcrimson compared to June Gold are its cropping reliability, attractive appearance, eating quality, exceptional firmness and low incidence of split pits. Best adaptation would be for areas and sites where Flordaking peach and Sunlite nectarine have proven reliable in production.