Citrus species accumulate large quantities of flavanone glycosides in their leaves and fruit. The physiological role(s) of these compounds in citrus plants are unknown, but they have been documented to benefit human health upon consumption. Flavanone rutinosides are tasteless, whereas flavanone neohesperidosides, such as naringin, give a bitter taste to fruit and fruit juice products, reducing their palatability. In an effort to alter the types and levels of flavanone neohesperidosides in citrus, an Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation approach was employed. Citrus paradisi Macf. (grapefruit) epicotyl stem segments were transformed with sense (S) and antisense (AS) constructs of the target genes chalcone synthase (CHS) and chalcone isomerase (CHI), whose products catalyze the first two steps in the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway. Transformation with each of the individual constructs led to a different and unpredictable combination of viability, phenotypic change, transgene steady-state expression and alteration in flavonoid content in the resulting transgenic plants. These qualities were consistent within the transgenic plants obtained using any particular construct. Transgenic plants with decreased leaf naringin levels were obtained, particularly when the CHS-AS constructs were employed.

Trees without excessive branching are desirable for the reduction of pruning costs. Genetic diversity for less twiggy genotypes exists in peach and a branching index was developed for evaluation and selection of genotypes with reduced branching. The index is based on the number of total first-order branches and the number of second-order, third-order, and fourth-order branches measured on three randomly selected first-order branches. Index values were highly correlated (r2 ≈0.7) with the total number of branches over two growing seasons and served as a good predictor of branching patterns observed in the third growing season. Thus, the developed branching index is a useful tool in peach breeding, allowing for the early selection of trees with more desirable tree architecture.

Tree size and branching control has gained importance as labor and pruning costs have increased. In addition, the occurrence of blind nodes is a critical factor that affects peach tree architecture and productivity in subtropical climates. Seven backcross families segregating for branching and blind nodes were developed using ‘Flordaguard’ peach × P. kansuensis or ‘Tardy Nonpareil’ almond F1s backcrossed to ‘AP00-30WBS’, ‘UFSharp’, or ‘UF97-47’ peach selections and evaluated for branching index and blind node frequency during the winters of 2010 and 2011. P. kansuensis backcrosses presented increased branching and lower blind node incidence, whereas almond backcrosses presented less branching and higher blind node incidence, resembling the P. kansuensis and almond F1 parents, respectively. There was also broad variability for branching and blind nodes within the P. kansuensis and ‘Tardy Nonpareil’ almond backcross families influenced by the peach parents that were used to generate the backcross populations. The moderate heritability and year-to-year correlation for these traits indicate that they are affected by the environment, but selection for reduced branching and lower blind node incidence is feasible.