The peach: Botany, production and uses

The Peach provides a comprehensive up to date reference work, summarizing our knowledge of peaches and their production worldwide and includes an extensive colour plates section. Chapters written by international authorities address botany and taxonomy, breeding and genetics of cultivars and rootstocks, propagation, physiology and planting systems, crop and pest management and postharvest physiology. The book also includes a contribution on the history of cultivation and production trends in China with historical references dating back to 1100 B.C for the first time in the English language.

Botany and Taxonomy. History of Cultivation and Trends in China. Classical Genetics and Breeding. Genetic Engineering and Genomics. Low-Chill Cultivar Development. Fresh Market Cultivar Development. Processing Peach Cultivar Development. Rootstock Development. Propagation Techniques. Carbon Assimilation, Partitioning and Budget Modeling. Orchard Planting Systems. Crop Load Management. Nutrient and Water Requirements of Peach Trees. Orchard Floor Management Systems. Diseases of Peach Caused by Fungi and Fungal-Like Organisms: Biology, Epidemiology, and Management. Diseases Caused by Prokaryotes - Bacteria and Phytoplasmas. Viruses and Viroids of Peach Trees. Insects and Mites. Nematodes. Preharvest Factors Affecting Peach Quality. Ripening, Nutrition, and Postharvest Physiology. Harvesting and Postharvest Handling of Peaches for the Fresh Market.