Peach production in China
Encyclopedia
China
, the world's leading producer of fruit
, is also by far the leading producer of peach
es. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization, as of 2010 peach production in China was 10.0 million tonne
s, accounting for 50 percent of world production. Other leading peach producers are Italy
(10%), Spain
(7%) and the United States
(6%). Since most of China's peaches are for domestic consumption, China is not the world's largest export
er of peaches, but instead ranks as the fifth largest peach exporter, behind Spain, Italy, France
and the United States. China's export of peaches to the U.S. during 2010 was valued at about US$55 million.
The peach is indigenous to China, with its historical records traced from fossil
stones in Wu County
in Jiangsu Province, during archaeological excavations. The two types of peaches (Prunus persica, a deciduous
fruit) are clingstone and freestone; the history and cultivation of both have been traced as far back as 1000 BC in China. They are now grown worldwide.
. Recently, the history of cultivation of peaches in China has been extensively reviewed, using numerous original manuscripts dating back to 1100 BC. Peaches play an important role in Chinese mythology
and history and were said to have magical powers. Peaches are mentioned in many ancient pieces of Chinese literature and art, such as Tao Yuanming's The Tale of the Peach-Blossom Spring.
In addition, the results of archaeological excavations in Banpo
village, Xian, Shaanxi Province support references in ancient manuscripts to 17 different fruits, mostly deciduous and including peaches, beginning with Shi Jing
, an ancient record of songs scripted in 1000 BC. Archaeological finds testify to a well developed agricultural knowledge base in pomology
. The Chinese knew about cultivar differences in winter peaches in the second century BC.
Peach production is largely concentrated in northern, central to eastern and north-western China, although a significant part of the country grows them. In general, peach production in China can be divided into seven regions based on regional climate and ecological differences. These main areas of production are Northwest in Xinjiang
, Ningxia
, Shaanxi
and Gansu
; the Northern China plains in Beijing
, Tianjing
, Hebei
, southern Liaoning
, Shangdong, Shanxi
, Henan
, Jiangsu
and northern Anhui
, especially along the Huai He River; the Changjiang River humid region in the centre and east in southern Jiangsu
, Zhejiang
, Shanghai
, southern Anhui
, Jiangxi
and Hubei
; the Yunnan-Guizhou high plateau in Yunnan
, Guizhou
and southwest Sichuan
; the Qinghai
-Tibet
cold plateau; the cold northeast in Jilin and Heilingjiang; and finally the subtropical region of Southern China, particularly to the south of the Changjiang River, in the provinces of Fujian
, Jiangxi
, southern Hunan
, north Guangdong
, north Guangxi
and Taiwan
.
Peach/nectarine production for the year 2010 (January to December) was reported to be 10 million tonnes from an area of 6850 square kilometres (2,644.8 sq mi). While the area decreased by 1% over the previous year, production recorded an increase of 2%. In the well-managed areas of Shadang, yield was reported at 3.5 tonnes per mu (5,200 t/km2). Export forecast for 2010 was 52,000 tonnes, an increase of 30% over the previous year; this is attributed to better cold storage facilities and increase in demand from Southeast Asia
, Central Europe
and Russia.
and Yidou in Shandong province, Shenzhou in Hebei province, Liquan and Fuping in Shaanxi province and Zhenging and Zhangye in Gansu province. Other major cultivars are Feicheng Tao, Shenzhou Mitao and Yidou Mitao. Shumitao peach, also known as Honey peach, is grown extensively in the Yangtze River
basin areas in South China. These cultivars are well adapted to conditions in the Yangtze River basin, which has suitable wet climatic conditions with high summer temperatures. They have tender flesh and are juicy, with high sugar content. Fenghua yulu and Baihua shuimi cultivars are popular in areas close to the cities of Nanjing, Wuxi
, Shanghai, Hangzhou
, Ninbo and Fenghuo. Areas under production with early peach and nectarine cultivars have increased. The major root stocks used for peaches are Prunus davidiana Franc in Southern China and Prunus persica Stoke in Northern China.
Since 1959, the peach has also been grown under a protected system innovated by the Shandong Agricultural University which has substantially extended its marketing period. Protected system practices involve the application of chemicals under controlled conditions, setting foliage limits, pruning during summer, girdling during autumn, creating drought stress, pruning roots and use of "dwarfing root stocks and dwarfing or semi-dwarfing cultivars", micro-climate control (temperature, humidity, light, water, CO2:O2 ratio, additional illumination, covering with transparent films and use of reflective lights on ground to control air and light in order to induce ripening and improve fruit quality), apart from many other techniques in use of fertilisers, pruning, irrigation, inter-cropping systems and humidity control. The productivity of peach trees in greenhouses using this programme is limited to about 10 years.
About 80% of peaches produced are for the domestic fresh market through well organised distribution centres. Fruit is harvested when about 80% ripe and then packed in cardboard boxes before dispatch to marketing centres. Export of fresh white-fleshed melting peach has been a trend in recent years and processed products (such as canned, dried, sliced dry products, juices, tea, beer, fruit jelly and candies) are exported to Europe and the US.
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, the world's leading producer of fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
, is also by far the leading producer of peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
es. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization, as of 2010 peach production in China was 10.0 million tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s, accounting for 50 percent of world production. Other leading peach producers are Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(10%), Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(7%) and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(6%). Since most of China's peaches are for domestic consumption, China is not the world's largest export
Export
The term export is derived from the conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the port of a country. The seller of such goods and services is referred to as an "exporter" who is based in the country of export whereas the overseas based buyer is referred to as an "importer"...
er of peaches, but instead ranks as the fifth largest peach exporter, behind Spain, Italy, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the United States. China's export of peaches to the U.S. during 2010 was valued at about US$55 million.
The peach is indigenous to China, with its historical records traced from fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
stones in Wu County
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
in Jiangsu Province, during archaeological excavations. The two types of peaches (Prunus persica, a deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
fruit) are clingstone and freestone; the history and cultivation of both have been traced as far back as 1000 BC in China. They are now grown worldwide.
History
Although its botanical name Prunus persica suggests that the peach is native to Persia, peaches actually originated in China, where they have been cultivated since the early days of Chinese culture. Peaches are mentioned in Chinese writings as far back as the 10th century BC and were a favored fruit of kings emperorsEmperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
. Recently, the history of cultivation of peaches in China has been extensively reviewed, using numerous original manuscripts dating back to 1100 BC. Peaches play an important role in Chinese mythology
Chinese mythology
Chinese mythology is a collection of cultural history, folktales, and religions that have been passed down in oral or written tradition. These include creation myths and legends and myths concerning the founding of Chinese culture and the Chinese state...
and history and were said to have magical powers. Peaches are mentioned in many ancient pieces of Chinese literature and art, such as Tao Yuanming's The Tale of the Peach-Blossom Spring.
In addition, the results of archaeological excavations in Banpo
Banpo
Banpo is an archaeological remain discovered in 1953 and located in the Yellow River Valley just east of Xi'an, China. It contains the remains of several well organized Neolithic settlements dating from 5600 - 6700 BP according to radiocarbon dating. It is a large area of 5-6 hectares and...
village, Xian, Shaanxi Province support references in ancient manuscripts to 17 different fruits, mostly deciduous and including peaches, beginning with Shi Jing
Shi Jing
The Classic of Poetry , translated variously as the Book of Songs, the Book of Odes, and often known simply as its original name The Odes, is the earliest existing collection of Chinese poems and songs. It comprises 305 poems and songs, with many range from the 10th to the 7th centuries BC...
, an ancient record of songs scripted in 1000 BC. Archaeological finds testify to a well developed agricultural knowledge base in pomology
Pomology
Pomology is a branch of botany that studies and cultivates pome fruit, particularly from the genera Malus, Prunus and Pyrus belonging to the Rosaceae. The term is sometimes applied more broadly, to the cultivation of any type of fruit...
. The Chinese knew about cultivar differences in winter peaches in the second century BC.
Cultivation
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
, Ningxia
Ningxia
Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
and Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
; the Northern China plains in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Tianjing
Tianjing
Tianjing is the name given to Nanjing by Hong Xiuquan, king of the "Heavenly Kingdom of the Great Peace", during the Taiping Rebellion, in imperial China, from 1853 to 1864.- Brief history :...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
, southern Liaoning
Liaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
, Shangdong, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
and northern Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
, especially along the Huai He River; the Changjiang River humid region in the centre and east in southern Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, southern Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
, Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
and Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
; the Yunnan-Guizhou high plateau in Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, Guizhou
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
and southwest Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
; the Qinghai
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
-Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
cold plateau; the cold northeast in Jilin and Heilingjiang; and finally the subtropical region of Southern China, particularly to the south of the Changjiang River, in the provinces of Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
, Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
, southern Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
, north Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
, north Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
Peach/nectarine production for the year 2010 (January to December) was reported to be 10 million tonnes from an area of 6850 square kilometres (2,644.8 sq mi). While the area decreased by 1% over the previous year, production recorded an increase of 2%. In the well-managed areas of Shadang, yield was reported at 3.5 tonnes per mu (5,200 t/km2). Export forecast for 2010 was 52,000 tonnes, an increase of 30% over the previous year; this is attributed to better cold storage facilities and increase in demand from Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and Russia.
Cultivars
The native peach of China is categorised under two major groups, namely, the cultivars and the ecotypes. North China has the Mitao cultivars, which bear larger fruits with a firm flesh. These are grown in FeichengFeicheng
Feicheng is a city of Tai'an in the Chinese province of Shandong.The population in 1999 was 960,232.Part of the Great Wall of Qi starts here, and is listed on the People's Republic of China's list of cultural artifacts....
and Yidou in Shandong province, Shenzhou in Hebei province, Liquan and Fuping in Shaanxi province and Zhenging and Zhangye in Gansu province. Other major cultivars are Feicheng Tao, Shenzhou Mitao and Yidou Mitao. Shumitao peach, also known as Honey peach, is grown extensively in the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
basin areas in South China. These cultivars are well adapted to conditions in the Yangtze River basin, which has suitable wet climatic conditions with high summer temperatures. They have tender flesh and are juicy, with high sugar content. Fenghua yulu and Baihua shuimi cultivars are popular in areas close to the cities of Nanjing, Wuxi
Wuxi
Wuxi is an old city in Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. Split in half by Lake Tai, Wuxi borders Changzhou to the west and Suzhou to the east. The northern half looks across to Taizhou across the Yangtze River, while the southern half also borders the province of Zhejiang to the south...
, Shanghai, Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
, Ninbo and Fenghuo. Areas under production with early peach and nectarine cultivars have increased. The major root stocks used for peaches are Prunus davidiana Franc in Southern China and Prunus persica Stoke in Northern China.
Protected systems
Uses
Consumption of peaches within China has increased with marked preferences, people in Shanghai preferring the sweet and juicy variety, while Beijing people prefer the hard-flesh sourish variety. Canned peaches are also becoming popular in urban areas, yellow peaches being the preferred variety for canning.About 80% of peaches produced are for the domestic fresh market through well organised distribution centres. Fruit is harvested when about 80% ripe and then packed in cardboard boxes before dispatch to marketing centres. Export of fresh white-fleshed melting peach has been a trend in recent years and processed products (such as canned, dried, sliced dry products, juices, tea, beer, fruit jelly and candies) are exported to Europe and the US.