I HAVE noted before in this column that China produces roughly 45% of the world's peaches (2007 production of 9.7 million tons on approximately 1.6 million acres). But did you know that China has approximately 30,000 acres of peaches being commercially produced in protected cultivation (i.e., energy conserving greenhouses)? This is nearly equivalent to the acreage of peaches grown outside in the states of South Carolina and Georgia combined! This development was first successful at Shandong Agricultural University in the mid 1990s. A great incentive for the commercialization of this practice is the demand for fresh fruit beyond the typical peach harvest season from outdoor commercial orchards. Up to a fivefold increase in price can be obtained for fruits provided to the very early or very late-season markets. To meet the very early market window, low-chill cultivars with a very short fruit development period are selected. Jizao 518 (a 2007 release from the Zhengzhou Fruit Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences) is a very early, white-fleshed nectarine that ripens in 50 days and is recommended for "cultivation in infrastructure."
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