Peaches
The cultivation of peaches began in China as early as 2000 B.C. The cultivation of peaches continued through the old world and was transported to the America’s where peach cultivation thrived on the east coast. By the mid-1700s, peaches were so plentiful in the United States that botanists thought of them as native fruits. Currently California, South Carolina, Georgia and New Jersey account for three quarters of U.S. peach production. New York grows over 2000 acres of peaches with more than a quarter of that located in the eastern portion of the state. There are two types of peaches, clingstone and freestone. With clingstone peaches, the flesh “clings” to the "stone" (the pit) of the peach, making it difficult to separate. As Clingstone varieties retain their flavor and texture during processing, they are more suitable to canning and value added products.
The pit of freestone peaches separates from the flesh, making it ideal for fresh consumption. Freestone peaches are generally larger than clingstones with a firmer, less juicy texture. While most commonly eaten fresh, these peaches may also be frozen and dried.
Annual per person consumption of peaches in the United States peaked at 13 pounds in the early 1970s. By 2008 annual consumption had dropped to 8.8 pounds per person. Consumer research conducted in the mid-2000s revealed buyer frustration with mealy textures, fruit browning and lack of sweetness. This frustration has actually helped improve demand for local, NY produced peaches as there is simply nothing like a tree-ripened peach.
Over the last 20 years, Cornell research and extension projects have helped growers increase yields and fruit quality by increasing tree densities and improving labor efficiency. We estimate that profitability of new high density orchards is 100 to 300% greater than the traditional low-density orchards. For more information about tree fruit production, please visit the Cornell Tree Fruit website at http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/tree_fruit/index.htm.
Relevant Event
Blind Industry White Wine Tasting Workshop
April 1, 2025 : Blind Industry White Wine Tasting Workshop
Germantown, NY
SWD Insecticides Quick Guide 2020
Laura McDermott, Team Leader, Small Fruit and Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
June 2020 - Labeled Insecticides for Control of Spotted Wing Drosophila in New York Berry Crops - Quick Guide
Stone Fruit IPM Webinar
Mike Basedow, Tree Fruit Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Prepping Your Air Blast Sprayer for Spring
Mike Basedow, Tree Fruit Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Sprayers must be regularly checked over to ensure that proper maintenance has been carried out and that no outstanding repairs need to be done. Faulty sprayers contribute to increased drift levels and waste money through inefficiency and overuse of chemicals.
2019 Eastern New York Fruit & Vegetable Conference Tree Fruit Presentations
Presentations from the 2019 ENYCHP Eastern New York Fruit & Vegetable Conference held February 19-21 for the tree fruit sections.
2018 Eastern New York Fruit & Vegetable Conference Tree Fruit Presentations
Presentations from the 2018 ENYCHP Eastern New York Fruit & Vegetable Conference held February 20th and 21st for the tree fruit sections.
New fungicides labeled for use in tree fruit - all Special Local Needs Labels
Deborah Breth, Integrated Pest Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
The new class of fungicides, SDHI's, are now registered for use in tree fruit. Fontelis was registered last season, and Luna Tranquility and Merivon were registered this spring. They are all registered in NY as "Restricted Use" fungicides. Due to the special restrictions for use in NY, they also are Special Local Need registrations. In order to apply these materials you must have a copy of the label and the SLN label in your possession. You can access these SLN and label to study or print at these links.
The Commercial Storage of Fruits, Vegetables, and Florist and Nursery Stocks
Craig Kahlke, Team Leader, Fruit Quality Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
The information contained in this preliminary version of HB-66 has been assembled from information prepared by nearly 100 authors from around the world. The version posted here is a revised copy of a Draft made available online in November 2002 for author and public review and comment.
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Upcoming Events
Blind Industry White Wine Tasting Workshop
April 1, 2025 : Blind Industry White Wine Tasting Workshop
Germantown, NY
This event is a blind wine tasting for ENY grape industry members to get feedback from fellow growers and Cornell Enologists on unfinished white wines (hybrid, vinifera, etc.)
We respectfully request that only professional winemakers or commercial vineyard owners attend, as space is limited. Limit two wines per winery/vineyard.
Pre-registration is required. For questions, please contact Jeremy Schuster at jds544@cornell.edu