Irrigation and Fertilization Rates for Young Peach Trees [Prunus persica L. (Batsch)]

In the southeastern U.S., peach trees [Prunus persica L. (Batsch)] fruit production starts after three years of field establishment. During these years of establishment, peach trees are not irrigated relying only on natural precipitation as their only water source. Similarly, fertilizer recommendations are not well specified, leaving room for yield improvement. Further studies are needed to determine the effect of early irrigation and fertilization management in peach orchards. Current recommendations make no distinction among cultivars in terms of water and nutrient requirements. Some rootstocks may exhibit drought or waterlogging resistance, which can be important for growers who may want to expand peach production to areas with low water availability or which suffer from less than ideal drainage. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of different irrigation and fertilization rates in young peach trees. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse. Four scion/rootstock combinations were tested (‘Julyprince’ and ‘Flavorich’ grafted onto ‘MP-29’ or ‘Guardian’). Plants were grown in 14.6-L pots, in Fafard Mix 2 substrate. Three irrigation treatments (substrate volumetric water content of 0.15, 0.30, and 0.45 m³×m^-3) were imposed using a datalogger in order to control the irrigation. Three fertilization rates 24.7, 49.3, and 74 kg of nitrogen per hectare per year were applied using a granular fertilizer. Data on plant growth, trunk diameter, bud breaking progression, leaf nutritional content, stomata density, leaf gas exchange, and stem water potential were collected and compared between treatments and between different scion/rootstock combinations.