Effect of forcing at different times on bud burst, flowering and fruit development of low-chill peach cultivar 'Premier'

Abstract: Response of low-chill peach cultivar 'Premier' to early forcing culture was studied. Three-year-old trees were forced in a glasshouse from 15 November, 1 and 15 December and 1 and 15 January. Symptoms of insufficient chilling were detected when forcing was started from 15 November and 1 December. Bud break was delayed and sporadic. The flower and leaf buds forced from 15 December and 1 and 15 January rapidly burst within 15 days after the onset of the treatments. The final burst rate exceeded 70%. Generally, flowering started 10-15 days after flower bud burst. The size of the flowers from the trees forced from 15 November and 15 January was smaller than that recorded at other forcing times. Earliest harvest started under forcing from 15 December and 1 January. These results suggested that by using this low-chill cultivar, forcing could be initiated from mid-December, more than one month earlier than for high-chill cultivars, with complete dormancy release, in this region.