Imida works on peach varieties adapted to the climate of Murcia

IMIDA is developing genetic improvement programs for peaches, among other stone fruits, so that producers can have varieties that adapt to the growing conditions of the Region of Murcia.
The program is being put into practice by the team of experts from the Murcian research center on a farm in La Hoya del Campo (Abarán), and on another located on the Calasparra road, in the latter in collaboration with Cebas-Csic, "Their objective being to improve the organoleptic characteristics, to expand the offer and calendar of varieties, as well as the productivity of the fruit trees under study."
The program began in 2005 and, to date, has resulted in 18 plant registrations in the form of varieties, which are being used by producers in the Region.
This improvement project is being developed in collaboration with the company Novamed, made up of a large part of the main producers and exporters in the Region. In this way, farmers can dispose of and exploit the new varieties according to their commercial interests.

A project of strategic importance for the peach

These studies aim to evaluate the adaptation of the varieties to the edaphoclimatic conditions of the Region, especially with regard to those that come from the USA, France or Italy, which have totally different climatic conditions, and thus avoid adaptation problems. Registration of new varieties only takes place when there is a real demand for plantations to be made.
The project is working on all types: red peaches, yellow peaches, nectarines with white and yellow flesh, Paraguayans with white and yellow flesh, and platerinas (Paraguayans with nectarine skin), although much of the efforts are focused on obtain early harvest varieties.
Of the 18 new varieties, four yellow-fleshed red peaches, one white-fleshed red peach, five yellow peaches, six Paraguayan peaches, one nectarine and one platerina have been registered. The producers have planted about 120,000 trees, about 200 hectares.
Red peach varieties stand out for their good performance in areas with little accumulation of cold, allowing harvesting in warmer areas at the end of April. The white-fleshed red peach has been obtained for export to countries such as France and Italy. Five varieties of yellow peaches have been registered that adapt well to warm areas. Regarding nectarines, during 2015 the registration procedures for a new variety have begun, which stands out for being one of the first varieties by harvest date with low acidity, which makes it very appealing to the consumer.
As for the flat forms of peach (Paraguayan and platerina), six varieties have been obtained due to the great demand that exists in the market for this typology, which already represents 25 percent of the total production in the Region. Three of these Paraguayans have low cold needs, which allows them to be the first to be harvested.
One of the varieties that is giving the best results is a platerina (Paraguayan with nectarine skin), which is showing good performance in the Region, which is important since until now there were no good varieties of platerina that adapt to our conditions. of cultivation, and it is a type that the consumer is demanding for its flavor and convenience, since it does not have to be peeled, being a fruit specially designed to promote its consumption among the children's population.