Peach Cultivar Trials: 

 Observations and Comments 



Karen I. Hauschild 



Department of Plant & Soil Sciences, University of Massachusetts 



In the Fall 1995 issue of Fruit Notes, I 

 described and commented on the first plantings 

 of peaches and nectarines in my cultivar trial at 

 the University of Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Research Center in Belchertown. Since 

 another full growing season has passed, it 

 seems appropriate to add to the information 

 presented previously. 



Additionally, in the spring of 1996, 1 added 

 three yellow-fleshed peaches, replaced three 

 yellow-fleshed peaches ft-om the 1993 trial, 

 added one white peach and replaced another, 

 and added three white-fleshed nectarines. The 

 peach cultivar trial now includes 20 yellow- 

 fleshed peaches, 7 white-fleshed peaches, 6 

 yellow-fleshed nectarines, and 3 white-fleshed 

 nectarines. 



All cultivars planted prior to 1996 fruited in 

 1996. Following is updated information on the 

 cultivars that were planted in 1990, as well as 

 initial observations of fruit from the 1993 and 

 1994 plantings. I also will describe the 

 cultivars that were planted in 1996. 



1990 Planting 



Yellow- fleshed Peaches 



Jerseydawn was very popular at the 

 Horticultural Research Center in 1996. For an 

 early fruit, the flavor in 1996 was excellent, size 

 was good, and split pits occurred in only about 

 20% of the crop. 



Redhaven. Size was not impressive this year, 

 nor was flavor. There are several other 

 cultivars in this harvest window that have 

 better size and fruit quality than Redhaven. 



Salem fruit were very good to excellent in 1996. 

 The flavor was excellent, size was good, and the 

 fruit was very attractive. 



Flavorcrest fruit were very flavorful and had 

 high quality in 1996. 



New Haven. Although fruit size in 1996 was 

 some-what smaller than ideal, fruit quality was 

 excellent. New Haven is a much better peach 

 than Redhaven. 



Madison was an excellent peach. It had great 

 peach flavor, was good size, and was attractive. 



Harrow Beauty was one of my favorites in 

 1996. The fruit had good size and great peach 

 flavor. 



Jim Dandee fruit size was not as impressive in 

 1996 as it was in 1995, but the flavor of this 

 peach was very good. 



Harcrest fruit were flavorful, had good size, 

 and had very impressive quality in 1996. 



Fayette flavor was disappointing in 1996; 

 however, it was a good late season cultivar. 



Encore may be too late for most growers, 

 especially those who harvest large acreages of 

 Mcintosh apples. It was a good peach for the 

 late season. 



White-fleshed Peaches 



Summer Pearl fruit were not as flavorful in 

 1996 as in previous years. Quality was good, 

 and size was good. Fruit do not hold up well 

 after harvest. 



Nectarines 



Earliscarlet fruit sized well and had excellent 

 flavor. 



Fantasia sized well and had excellent flavor 

 and color but ripened in mid-September, a 

 problem for some growers. 

 Summer Beaut was an excellent nectarine. 

 Size was good, fruits were flavorful, and color 



Fruit Notes, Volume 62 (Number 1), FaU, 1997 



17 



