A new peach variety developed by an Agricultural Research Service scientist in cooperation with the University of Georgia and the University of Florida requires less winter chilling and will give growers in the southeastern lower coastal plain an edge and consumers a more reliable supply of early summertime peaches.
The new variety, Gulfsnow, requires only 400 hours of chilling to flower and set fruit. By comparison, June Gold, a commonly grown variety in the targeted production area, requires 650 hours of chilling. In years when winter chilling is insufficient, June Gold can't reliably set fruit, resulting in reduced crop yields for growers.
ARS horticulturalist Thomas Beckman at the Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory in Byron, Georgia, developed Gulfsnow to overcome the chilling problem, which has become worse in recent years as winter-time temperatures have trended warmer and chilling hours have declined.
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