Effects of blooming and fruit thinning on the yield, fruit quality, and leaf photosynthesis of peach cultivar ‘Xiahui 5’ in China

This study investigated the effects of different thinning treatments on yield, fruit quality, and leaf photosynthesis for ‘Xiahui 5’ peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch]. The suitable thinning period and loading capacity of ‘Xiahui 5’ peach were explored in production and a theoretical basis for efficient and high-yield cultivation of ‘Xiahui 5’ peach is provided, including blossom-thinning + fruit-thinning at 20 days after full bloom (DAFB) + fruit thinning at 40 DAFB, blossom-thinning + fruit-thinning at 40 DAFB, fruit-thinning at 20 DAFB + fruit-thinning at 40 DAFB, and fruit-thinning at 40 DAFB, with neither blossom-thinning nor fruit-thinning as control. The yield, fruit quality, and leaf photosynthesis were detected. The thinning treatments were carried out between April and May 2012 in Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, China. The intensity of thinning with spacing was about 20 cm between fruit. Thinning fruit twice (20 DAFB + 40 DAFB) saved labor (260.4 h/ha) and improved the weights (186.45 g) of individual fruit, the yield (980.55 kg/ha), and the internal and external fruit quality (red saturation, the ratio between red and yellow saturation), as well as enhancing the water-use efficiency (8.19 mmol/mol) and apparent CO2-use efficiency (140.58 mmol/mol) values of leaves. The effect of thinning fruit twice was better than blossom thinning + fruit thinning, or fruit thinning only once. Collectively, thinning blossoms and fruit is a blossom- and fruit-management method suitable for peach production areas in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China. In addition, thinning fruit twice (20 DAFB + 40 DAFB) during the young fruit period and before entering the core-hardening period is suitable for achieving a reasonable load of ‘Xiahui 5’ peach. The treatment including flower thinning was not the recommended strategy of ‘Xiahui 5’ peach in terms of reasonable load.