A new introduction from the Italian MAS.PES peach breeding program: 'Maissa', a stony hard flat peach
MAS.PES is an apricot and peach breeding program located in northern Italy aimed at the introduction of cultivars featuring enhanced fruit quality and disease resistance (http://www.maspes.org). Among the most promising commercial outcomes, Maissa, initially selected as BO 06013020, is described here.
It is a flat, yellow peach from a [Sweet Cap × BO 96028059 (Spring Red × Big Top)] cross, ripening in late August/first week of September in northern Italy (southern Po Valley, 44°50 latitude), around 50 days after Big Top nectarine, a commercial reference cultivar for the Italian peach industry.
The tree growth habit is regular, of medium-high vigour, with a medium chilling requirement and produces high yields.
The fruit shape is flat, rather regular, with over 70% blush, and a weight of over 220 g.
The fruit flesh flesh texture is stony hard (Hd trait), while parents and grandparents were all classified as belonging to the slow softening texture type (a possible mutation at the F locus). The fruit is of the low acid type (D trait), with soluble solids over 17 °Brix when harvested at full maturity; it has a delicious flavour which is rather unusual for a stony hard peach.
Harvest could be adjusted to fit commercial purposes, since the flesh never melts.
Thus, harvest can start when the fruit reaches 13 °Brix. Maissa needs careful field management to avoid brown rot damage on the fruit.
Bassi, D. and Foschi, S. (2021). A new introduction from the Italian MAS.PES peach breeding program: 'Maissa', a stony hard flat peach. Acta Hortic. 1304, 83-88
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2021.1304.13
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2021.1304.13
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2021.1304.13
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2021.1304.13
flesh texture, fruit quality, P. persica
English