Published 2023-03-28
Abstract
The stone fruit industry in Florida once had over 4000 acres in production in north-central Florida. However, challenges in marketing and a series of freezes affected the industry. As a result, by 2008 the industry was significantly reduced to fewer than 400 acres. A successful stone fruit breeding program at the University of Florida has released varieties well-adapted to sub-tropical production regions. Some of these varieties have formed the basis of low chill stone fruit industries in subtropical countries. Since 2003, the breeding program has shifted to breed varieties with even lower chilling requirements. Growing these varieties in central and southern Florida not only reduced the risk of production failures, but also allowed growers to target a crucial market gap from late March to early May when neither international exports nor domestic production could satisfy U.S. demand. All these breeding programs, accompanied by extensive research and extension programs on low chill stone fruit production, helped the Florida peach industry
produce over seven million pounds fruit in 2017 on an estimated 1800 acres. This indicates a resurgence of interest in low chill stone fruit production, especially peaches in Florida as growers are looking for a profitable substitute fruit
crop to diversify their production systems. Producing high-quality stone fruit while reducing production costs will allow sustainable development of an industry in Florida. Orchard management or pre-harvest practices can significantly
affect fruit characteristics such as fruit size, sweetness, firmness, etc., which can directly affect consumers’ preferences and buying patterns. To improve fruit quality in low-chill stone fruit in Florida, research on the adoption of superior
management practices as well as strategies for the extension of these practices to growers is needed. Although, most of these technologies and strategies already exist for growing stone fruit in temperate zones. Success and challenges are
presented and discussed in this review.