Flood-Proof Peach Rootstocks Could Help Growers Set New Watermark
April 29, 2021 Weather extremes are becoming the norm. DYK: 20 million acres of farmland suffered losses nationwide due to floods in 2019? Studies show that floods will increase as climate change continues to challenge growers around the globe. Once crop in particular — peaches are extremely susceptible to flood conditions. University of Florida scientists are hoping to throw a lifeline to growers who are facing this problem more often.
New research led by Ali Sarkhosh, a UF/IFAS Assistant Professor of horticultural sciences, shows three peach rootstocks that can survive flooding. The finding could be a game changer for those growers in the Southeast. The region makes up about 40% of U.S. peach acreage, but also it’s prone to elevated chances of tropical storm and hurricane impacts.
“If peach farmers experience flooding, the fruit size and quality can be adversely affected, and the tree may prematurely drop fruit yield,” Sarkhosh says. “We’re searching for flooding tolerance for peaches before a storm wipes out any farms.”
One of Sarhosh’s doctoral students, Trequan McGee, led recently published research to try to find peach rootstocks with increased resistance to flooding. In the study, researchers tested six peach rootstocks to see whether they would survive flooding. Researchers measured variables like photosynthesis, nutrient content, and activity of the rootstock’s antioxidant system.
Scientists found three rootstocks worked better than ‘Flordaguard,’ the one that is used most often in Florida. The rootstocks known as ‘MP-29’, ‘P-22’, and ‘R5064-5’ are better-suited to survive in areas prone to flooding than ‘Flordaguard.’
“In Florida, peach growers have relied on ‘Flordaguard’ rootstocks, because for years this was the only rootstock available that is resistant to the Florida peach root-knot nematode,” Sarkhosh says.
Other rootstocks in the study were ‘Guardian’ and ‘Nemaguard’. Both ‘Guardian’ and ‘Nemaguard’ resist production challenges like certain nematodes and peach tree short life – the sudden collapse and death of young trees, Sarkhosh adds.
Damage from flooding translates into visible symptoms like leaf yellowing, leaf drop and eventual death of the scion portion of the crop, Sarkhosh said.
For more on the UF/IFAS Stone Fruit program, check out the lab’s website or YouTube channel.
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