Earliness, yield, and fruit quality characteristics in low chill peach-nectarines: a comparison of protected and open area cultivation

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the effects of protected cultivation on the earliness, yield, and fruit quality characteristics of some lowchill peach-nectarine cultivars grown in the eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey. Phenological observations, yield parameters, and fruit quality characteristics were investigated. The chilling durations as CH (chilling hours), CU (chilling unit), and heat accumulations were determined. The `Astoria? cultivar reached the highest cumulative yield of 29.11 kg/tree and 38.72 t/ha, and fruit size was 131.89 g and 61.74 mm in protected cultivation. The CH and CU values under protected cultivation were 28% and 40% lower than in open area cultivation, respectively. The heat accumulation was 30% higher for GDH30 in the protected cultivation. The results of this study revealed that low chill peach-nectarine cultivars grown in protected cultivation showed variable earliness, yield, and fruit quality depending on chilling duration and heat accumulation.