YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY OF BI-VARIETAL PEACH TREES IN A MIAF SYSTEM EXPOSED TO FROSTS

Abstract

The peach tree is an strategic component of the Milpa Intercropped with Fruit Trees (MIAF) due to the high price of the fruit in times of scarcity, when its production is limited by damage due to frosts. The peach tree bloom is acropetal and the temperature in a radiation frost is lower in the lower stratum of the tree, what led us to use trees composed of a cultivar of late-flowering (Vft) in the lower stratum and one of early-flowering (Vfp) in the upper one (Cbi-v). The aim was to evaluate yield and fruit quality of the peach in response to the varietal composition of the tree and to fertilization of two Vfp and two Vft in the MIAF in an environment with frosts incidence. The experiment was established at the Valle de México Experiment Station of INIFAP in 2005 and it was evaluated in 2012. The response at two levels of the factors varietal composition, mineral fertilizer and chicken manure was evaluated through a 25 factorial design lotified to ¼. The traits measured were parameters of yield and fruit quality, on which analysis of variance, comparison of means and regression were performed. The combination of the Vfp Puebla grafted on the Vft Supremo had the highest yield (15.1 kg/tree) and yield efficiency (1.46 kg cm-2). The fertilization (90-30-90 g N-P2O5-K2O/tree/year) increased total soluble solids (SST) in Supremo fruits (from 11.1 to 12.6 ºBrix). The chicken manure (3 kg/tree/year) increased the SST in fruits of Supremo and decreased the firmness and acidity in those of Puebla in the bi-varietal composition. The management of the Cbi-v and fertilization improved the quality and peach fruit yield in the MIAF in environments with radiation frost incidence.