Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science, NARO

The new very early maturing white peach cultivar "Himemaruko" with excellent taste

-Can be harvested about 9 days earlier than conventional white peach cultivars by open field cultivation-

National Institute of Agricultural Organization (NARO) has developed a new white peach cultivar "Himemaruko", which ripens very early with excellent taste. This white peach cultivar is expected to be harvested about 9 days earlier than conventional cultivars by open field cultivation. "Himemaruko" nursery stocks are scheduled to be available from the autumn of 2020.

Overview

In the open field cultivation of peaches, among the cultivars that are cultivated at a certain scale, the earliest harvesting cultivars are "Chiyohime" and "Hanayome". They can be harvested around 70 days after the full bloom (around mid-June in Kanto). In order to increase the production and consumption of peaches, it is considered effective to expand the distribution period and there is a demand for cultivars which can be harvested earlier.

NARO has developed a very early maturing white peach cultivar "Himemaruko". "Himemaruko" can be cultivated 9 days earlier than "Chiyohime" cultivar. The fruit weight is about 170g, little smaller than "Chiyohime". The sugar content is 15%, about 1% higher than "Chiyohime". It has little acidity and has delicious taste as an extremely early cultivar.

"Himemaruko", as a white peach cultivar that accelerates the harvest period in open field cultivation of peaches, especially it is expected to spread in the areas where "Chiyohime" and "Hanayome" are grown. The sales of nursery stocks of "Himemaruko" is scheduled to begin from the autumn of 2020 from a fruit nursery who has signed a license agreement with the Japan Fruit Seedling and Clonal Association.