Project Overview
Commodities
- Fruits: peaches
Practices
- Crop Production: nutrient cycling
- Education and Training: on-farm/ranch research
- Production Systems: holistic management
Proposal abstract:
The greatest threat to the economic viability of Colorado peach growers is frost damage. Growers have limited options when it comes to protecting their peach crop from these cold events. Even with frost protection measures, massive crop loss is seen 2-4 times per decade. Generally, damaging frost events only reach 1-2 degrees below the critical survivable temperatures of the buds, meaning conferring 2 degrees of protection can be the difference between no crop and a heavy crop. Through metabolomic analysis, our lab has identified several cryoprotective and antioxidative compounds which are naturally present in most peach tissues, and which help the trees respond to minor cold events by boosting their cold tolerance. These cryoprotective compounds, glycine, trimethyl-betaine, proline, cysteine and salicylic acid are naturally occurring, metabolically active in most peach tissues, and are environmentally friendly. The objective of this study is to test exogenous applications of cryoprotective compounds and their subsequent effects on cold tolerance conferred to the floral buds of peach. Additionally, this study aims to quantify the economic impact cryoprotective compounds have on peach growers in Western Colorado. If properly researched and implemented, applications of cryoprotective compounds have the potential to save in the Colorado peach industry millions of dollars in crop losses each year and provide an additional frost protection tool growers can use to make their crop more climate-resilient.
Project objectives from proposal:
Project Objective 1: Evaluate the cold hardiness of peach flower buds through exogenous applications of various naturally occurring cryoprotective and antioxidative compounds.
Project Objective 2: Optimize cryoprotective and antioxidative compound application rates to help inform peach growers of additional protections for their cold sensitive crop.
Project Objective 3: Evaluate the cost and economic impact of cryoprotective treatment sprays on commercial peach orchards.