The Rosaceae family is a large family of flowering plants that includes several important fruit trees such as plum, pear, and peach. These fruit trees are all deciduous, meaning that they lose their leaves in the fall.
Plums are small, round or oval-shaped fruit that comes in a variety of colours including red, purple, and yellow. They have sweet, juicy flesh and smooth, edible skin. Plums are native to Asia and Europe, and they have been cultivated for thousands of years. There are many different varieties of plums, including European plums, Japanese plums, and American plums.
Pears are a type of fruit that is similar in shape to an apple, but with a rounder bottom and a tapered top. They have smooth, thin skin that is green, yellow, or brown, and soft, juicy flesh. Pears are native to Europe and Asia, and they have been cultivated for thousands of years. There are many different varieties of pear, including Anjou, Bartlett, and Bosc.
Peaches are a type of stone fruit that is native to China. They have fuzzy skin that is typically yellow or pink, and sweet, juicy flesh. Peaches are high in antioxidants and are a good source of vitamin C. There are many different varieties of peaches, including white peaches, yellow peaches, and doughnut peaches.
All three of these fruit trees belong to the Rosaceae family, which is known for its showy, fragrant flowers and edible fruit. They are all popular as ornamental plants and as sources of food. In addition to plum, pear, and peach, other important members of the Rosaceae family include apples, cherries, and raspberries.
Pear: Pyrus communis L.; Rosaceae
Pear
Varieties: Common pear, Kieffer, New Pear, William and Jargonelle.
Soil and climate: Red laterite soil with good drainage and high organic matter content. Can be grown at an elevation of above 1200 m. pH 5.8 to 6.2.
Planting material: Plant one-year-old grafts/rooted cuttings.
Planting season: June to December.
Spacing: 5 x 5 m or 6 x 6 m in pits of 60 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm size.
Application of fertilizers: Apply FYM 25 kg, N 500 g and 1 kg in each of P and K per bearing tree/year.
Training and pruning: Remove stock sprouts regularly. Train the plants to open the centre system and prune every year in November – December. Top working on country pear with choice varieties can be done during December – January with cleft grafting.
Plant protection: No serious pests and diseases are noticed. Prophylactic spraying with a copper
fungicides and methyl demeton after pruning can be given.
Harvest & Yield
Harvest: Early varieties will come to harvest in May – June and late varieties in July – October.
Yield: 100 to 120 kg per tree per year in common pear.
70 to 80 kg per tree per year in Kieffer and New Pear.
30 to 40 kg per tree per year in William and Jargonelle.
Conclusions
The pear is a type of fruit tree belonging to the Rosaceae family. It can be grown in red laterite soil with good drainage and high organic matter content and can tolerate a pH range of 5.8 to 6.2.
It is best to plant one-year-old grafts or rooted cuttings in June to December planting season, with a spacing of 5 x 5 m or 6 x 6 m in pits of 60 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm size. It is important to apply FYM, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers to the tree yearly.
Training and pruning involve removing stock sprouts and training the tree to have an open centre system, and pruning annually in November-December. The pear tree is generally resistant to pests and diseases, but prophylactic spraying with copper fungicides and methyl demeton after pruning is recommended as a precaution.
The pear tree can yield between 100 to 120 kg per tree per year for common pear, 70 to 80 kg per tree per year for Kieffer and New Pear, and 30 to 40 kg per tree per year for William and Jargonelle, depending on the variety. The harvest season for early varieties is May June and for late varieties is July-October.
Plum: Prunus salicina L.; Rosaceae
Plum
Varieties
Early: Rubio.
Mid-season: (June – July) Hale, Gaviota and Abundance.
Late: (July – August) Shiro, Kelsey and Satsuma.
Hale has to be planted along with other varieties to enhance pollination and fruit set.
Soil and climate: Red lateritic soil with good drainage. The soil pH should be around 5.8 to 6.2 and rich in organic matter. Can be grown above 1200 m elevation.
Planting material: One-year-old budded plants may be planted during June – July or October – December with a spacing of 4 x 4 m in pits of 60 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm in size.
Planting season: June to November.
Application of fertilizer: Apply FYM 30 kg and 500 g of N and 1 kg in each of P and K for bearing trees during October – November.
Training and pruning: The growing points are tipped at a height of 50 – 60 cm to allow the side shoots to develop. Train to open centre system. Prune the trees from December – January. Dried, dead, diseased water shoots and criss-cross branches are removed.
Plant Protection (PEST & DISEASES)
Pests
Fruit Fly: Spray malathion 50 EC at the rate of 2 ml/lit of fenthion 100 EC at the rate of 1 ml/lit. Set up methyl eugenol 1 % trap with malathion 50 EC 1 ml/lit between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m.
Use polythene bags fish meal trap with 5 gm of wet fish meal + 1 ml. dichlorvos in cotton. 50 traps are required/ha, fish meal + dichlorvos soaked cotton are to be renewed once in 20 and 7 days respectively.
Yield & Harvest
Yield: 25 – 30 kg/tree/year
Conclusions
The plum is a type of fruit tree belonging to the Rosaceae family. There are several varieties of plum trees, including Early varieties such as Rubio, Mid-season varieties such as Hale, Gaviota, and Abundance, and Late varieties such as Shiro, Kelsey, and Satsuma.
The plum tree grows best in red lateritic soil with good drainage and a pH range of 5.8 to 6.2. It is best to plant one-year-old budded plants in the June to November planting season, with a spacing of 4 x 4 m in pits of 60 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm in size. It is important to apply FYM and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers to the tree yearly.
Training and pruning involve tipping the growing points to allow side shoots to develop and training the tree to have an open centre system, and pruning annually from December to January.
The plum tree is prone to pests such as fruit flies, which can be controlled through the use of insecticides and traps. The yield for plum trees is approximately 25 to 30 kg per tree per year.
Peach: Prunus persica; Rosaceae
Peach
Varieties
Early: (April – May)
Killikrankie and Floridasun.
Mid-season: (June – July)
Shaw Pasand.
Late: (July – August)
Red Shanghai.
Soil and Climate: Red lateritic soil with good drainage and high organic matter is suitable. Grown at an elevation of 2000 m. Soil pH should be around 5.8 to 6.2.
Planting material: One-year-old budded plants.
Planting season: June – December.
Spacing: 4 x 4 m in pits of 60 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm.
Manures and fertilizers: Apply FYM 25 kg. N 500 g and 1 kg in each of P and K per bearing tree.
Training and pruning: Train to open the centre system. The trees are pruned annually from December – January. Dried, diseased, water shoots and criss-cross branches may be removed.
Plant Protection (PEST & DISEASES)
Lichens: Against lichens growth, spray 1 kg of quick lime/20 lit of water immediately after
pruning.
Pests
Fruit Fly: Spray malathion 50 EC at the rate of 2 ml/lit of water. Set up methyl eugenol 1 % trap with malathion 50 EC 2 ml/lit between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. Use polythene bags fish meal trap with 5 gm of wet fish meal + 1 ml. dichlorvos in cotton. 50 traps are required/ha, fish meal + dichlorvos soaked cotton are to be renewed once in 20 and 7 days respectively.
Diseases
Leaf curl: To control leaf curl aphids spray methyl dimeton 25 EC 2 ml/lit. Spray Carbendazim 0.5 g/lit.
Powdery mildew: Spray Carbendazim 0.5 g/lit. or use Sulphur dust @ 25 kg/ha.
Yield & Harvest
Yield: 10 – 15 kg/tree/year
Conclusions
The peach is a type of fruit tree belonging to the Rosaceae family. There are several varieties of peach trees, including Early varieties such as Killikrankie and Floridasun, Mid-season varieties such as Shaw Pasand, and Late varieties such as Red Shanghai.
The peach tree grows best in red lateritic soil with good drainage and a pH range of 5.8 to 6.2 and can be grown at an elevation of 2000 m. It is best to plant one-year-old budded plants in the June to December planting season, with a spacing of 4 x 4 m in pits of 60 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm in size. It is important to apply FYM and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers to the tree yearly.
Training and pruning involve training the tree to have an open centre system and pruning annually from December to January.
The peach tree is prone to pests such as lichens and mites, which can be controlled through the use of pesticides. The yield for peach trees is not specified.
