<div>Background: Availability of quality planting materials is the major impediment in extension of cultivation of low chilling peach in northern plans. Plum suckers are mostly used as rootstocks for raising peach; however nematode infestation is a major problem. Seeds of all peach cultivars do not germinate under subtropical climate of plains of Northern India. Hence, an experiment was carried out at ICAR-CISH, Lucknow on seed germination and subsequent growth of seedlings of low chilling peaches. 
 
Methods: Fully mature seeds of peach cv. Florda Prince, Pant Peach 1 and Sharbati were collected during June. Some of the seeds were sown direct in-situ during 1st week of December and remaining seeds were sown in the field after 2 months of stratification in the refrigerator at 7-8&deg;C. 
 
Result: Stratification had significant effect on seed germination and late matured peach cv. &lsquo;Sharbati&rsquo; exhibited higher seed germination. Good linear seedling growth and maximum percentage of buddable seedlings was found in stratified sown seeds of &lsquo;Sharbati&rsquo; peach. Thus the study indicated that harvesting of &lsquo;Sharbati&rsquo; and &lsquo;Pant Peach-1&rsquo; seeds can be done during June and pre-sown stratification is necessary for better germination and growth of seedlings under subtropical climate of Lucknow.</div>

<div style="text-align:justify">Effect of Direct Sowing and Stratification on Germination and Growth of Peach under Sub-tropical Climate of Uttar Pradesh</div>

Background: Peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] fruits are good source of phenolic compounds, vitamins and organic acids. Low chill peach cultivars require low chilling hour for bud burst and growth. 
 
Methods: Seven phenolic compounds, four vitamins and six organic acids were profiled in eight low chill peach cultivars at edible ripe stage using HPLC-PDA and evaluated using multivariate analysis.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Gallic acid, chlorogenic acid and catechin were the most predominant phenolic components, ascorbic acid and niacin were the major vitamins and citric acid and malic acid were the prevalent organic acids in all peach cultivars. Though not a single low chill peach cultivar possessed all the nutraceuticals in good amount, Sharbati Surkha and Sharbati contained maximum amounts of total of identified phenolic components (1472.20 and 1306.89 &micro;g/g, respectively), whilst Sharbati, Sharbati Surkha and Pant Peach-1 had maximum amounts of total of identified vitamins (368.22, 341.48 and 335.13 &micro;g/g, respectively). Total of identified organic acids were recorded maximum in Pant Peach-1, Pratap, Shan-e-Punjab and Sharbati Surkha (21.12, 18.70, 18.56 and 17.66 mg/g, respectively). Sharbati Surkha was the best cultivar overall while other cultivars could be used either for fresh consumption or for imparting flavor in peach based processed products.

Effect of Direct Sowing and Stratification on Germination and Growth of Peach under Sub-tropical Climate of Uttar Pradesh

Screening of Low Chill Peaches Grown under Indian Subtropics for Phenolic Compounds, Vitamins and Organic Acids