Rootstocks for Commercial Peach Production in the Southeastern United States: Current Research, Challenges, and Opportunities

Abstract

The Southeastern United States is facing agriculture crises, such as the ongoing epidemic of citrus greening disease that has forced the region to begin looking into alternative crops. Some of these belong to the Rosaceae genus Prunus, which encompasses many economically important species such as peaches, almonds, cherries, plums, and more. Peach production in Florida has become a very promising alternative to citrus; however, there are different limitations and challenges that peach production faces in this region. Differing climates coupled with edaphic challenges such as salinity, alkalinity, and waterlogging have been the focus of much of the research into the viability of peach production in the region. Using the genetic diversity of the Prunus genus is crucial to the success of peach as an alternative crop, due to the nature of its propagation on rootstocks. The development of new rootstock cultivars has been—and continues to be—the most efficient way not only to deal with the variety of problems associated with the climate and soil mentioned above but also to mitigate the effects of pests and diseases. The vegetative propagation of stone fruit rootstocks also has distinct advantages that seed propagation cannot achieve, including tree performance uniformity and the multiplication of interspecific hybrids. Tools used to select the best-performing rootstocks for the area such as the root system architecture (RSA) analysis are fundamental to this development process to ensure that the rootstock cultivars with the traits needed for success in the region are selected. This narrative review lays out all the challenges facing southeastern peach production in detail, discussing the research into these challenges and highlighting the tools that are most crucial to the success of peach production in the region to create a resource for researchers, growers, and breeders to more easily access this information.

Physiochemical Responses and Ecological Adaptations of Peach to Low-Temperature Stress: Assessing the Cold Resistance of Local Peach Varieties from Gansu, China

“…The fatal consequences of ice formation within intracellular spaces have been extensively documented [ 3 , 4 ]. The screening of cold-resistant rootstocks or varieties is considered one of the most effective strategies for addressing freezing damage [ 2 , 5 ]. Therefore, it is particularly crucial to evaluate and screen the cold resistance of peach resources.…”

“…To counteract freezing injury, plants exhibit myriad adaptive responses during cold acclimation. The modifications encompass alterations in membrane composition, augmentation of osmoregulation, regulation of plant hormones, and structural reorganization during prolonged acclimation [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. After undergoing low-temperature stress treatment, the plant cell membrane undergoes a phase transition, resulting in an elevation of membrane permeability, exosmosis of electrolytes, and enhanced electrical conductivity [ 9 ].…”

Reaction of Commercial Cultivars of Kiwifruit to Infection by Root-knot Nematode and Its Biocontrol Using Endophytic Bacteria

“…Using resistance cultivars against plant parasitic nematodes has been one of the long-lasting approaches to fend off their attack. To reach this end, screening resistance plants is the main step not only to be used in the infested areas and areas with high potential for infection by RKN, but also for breeding programs or as a rootstock for a highly productive scion ( Saucet et al, 2016 ; Lesmes-Vesga et al, 2022 ; Mahoonaki et al, 2023 ). Also, the use of biological agents to control plant diseases has been the subject of much research due to the deleterious effect of chemical pesticides on human health and the environment.…”