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Excellent fruit quality and adaptation to global warming

The Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science, NARO has developed an early maturing peach cultivar 'Sakuhime', which is highly expected to flower normally leading to stable fruit production even if the winter temperature continues to rise due to global warming. This new cultivar also produces fruits that ripen about 5 days earlier and fruit quality that is almost the same as the major early maturing cultivar 'Hikawahakuho'.

Overview

1. The major peach cultivars in Japan require long exposure to low temperature in winter to flower normally in spring. However, as global warming progresses, winter temperature may gradually increase in the future and the exposure time to facilitate normal flowering and fruit development of peach maybe affected. In order to achieve stable peach production particularly in areas with relatively warm winter condition, it is necessary to develop cultivars that can flower even if exposure time to low temperature in winter is shorter than normal.
2. The Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science, NARO has developed a new peach cultivar 'Sakuhime' which flowers normally even when exposed to low temperature at about half the time required for major Japanese peach cultivars. This indicates that normal flowering and fruit development can be achieved even at high winter temperatures that can be expected due to global warming and thereby contributing to the stable production of peach.
3. In comparison to the early maturing cultivar 'Hikawahakuho', the new peach cultivar 'Sakuhime' shows similar fruit size and sugar content, and can be harvested 5 days earlier.
4. It can be cultivated throughout Japan particularly across the western region where early maturing varieties are widely grown.
5. Nursery stocks will be available from the autumn of 2017.

For Inquiries

Dr. Yoshiki KASHIMURA
Director, Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science, NARO

Dr. Hideaki YAEGAKI
Stone Fruit Breeding Unit, Division of Fruit Breeding and Genetics

Dr. Masato WADA
Communications Planner, Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science, NARO
TEL: 029-838-6451 FAX: 029-838-6440
E-mail: kaju-koho@ml.affrc.go.jp

Reference Information

Required time of exposure to low temperature in Sakuhime and other peach cultivars

Cultivar	Chilling requirement (CH)
Sakuhime	555
Hikawahakuho	1173
Akatsuki	1176
Kawanakajimahakut?	1208

Comparison of fruit characteristics of Sakuhime and Hikawahakuho

Cultivar	Fruit weight (g)	Fruit skin color	Degree of skin blushing	Flesh color	Sugar content (Brix)	Acidity (pH)
Sakuhime	253	greenish white	slightly high	white	12.8	4.62
Hikawahakuho	250	greenish white -whitish	high	white	12.2	4.34

Comparison of growth characteristics of Sakuhime and Hikawahakuho

Cultivar	Tree vigor	No. of flower buds	Pollen	Full blooming time	Harvesting time	No. of days for ripening
Sakuhime	strong	many	available	March 27	June 26	91
Hikawahakuho	strong	many	available	April 5	July 1	87