Environmental and orchard bases of peach fruit quality

This article provides an overview of preharvest factors that affect peach fruit quality attributes. Improvement of peach fruit quality is impossible postharvest. Hence, optimum peach quality at harvest and during postharvest and subsequently, consumer satisfaction, is achievable through understanding the influence of preharvest environmental and orchard factors. 'Quality' definition for producers, packers, shippers and consumers is discussed, with a description of the most important peach quality attributes and the physiological mechanisms that affect them. The effect of cultivar, rootstock, harvest time, crop load management, light manipulation, fruit position in the canopy, irrigation, fertilization and the impact of the growing environment on peach and nectarine harvest quality are reviewed. The development of new technologies that help clarify the biological and horticultural bases of preharvest factors on peach fruit quality can help increase peach consumption.