Bioscience Evidence 2026, Vol.16, No.4, 221-234 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/be 222 firmness (Ligouri et al., 2013). Moderate deficit irrigation can increase fruit firmness, dry matter, soluble solids, and some phenolic compounds. The timing and supply of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other mineral nutrients also have significant effects on fruit weight, sugar accumulation, acidity, skin color, and mineral composition. In addition, ground management practices such as mulching and cover cropping can improve soil fertility and soil moisture, leading to higher sugar content, a better sugar-to-acid ratio, and lower fruit acidity. Based on these findings, this review discusses the major orchard management practices that influence peach fruit quality. It focuses on the effects of tree training and canopy management, crop load regulation, irrigation and fertilization, and soil and ground management on fruit appearance, flavor, texture, and nutritional quality. It also examines the relationships among these management practices and highlights the importance of evaluating management effects at the same fruit maturity stage. The goal is to provide a scientific basis for developing productive, high-quality, and sustainable peach orchard management systems. By integrating the effects of different orchard management practices on fruit quality formation, this review aims to support more precise orchard management and contribute to the production of more uniform, high-quality peaches with greater market acceptance and improved economic returns. 2 Orchard Management Factors Affecting Peach Fruit Quality 2.1 Canopy management and light distribution Tree architecture directly determines light interception, light distribution within the canopy, and the fruit microclimate. These factors further affect fruit size, skin color, soluble solids content, dry matter accumulation, and firmness. Modern peach orchards are gradually shifting from traditional low-density, three-dimensional tree forms to high-density, two-dimensional fruiting walls or compact tree systems. The main goal is not simply to increase planting density, but to improve land and labor use efficiency while optimizing light distribution and achieving more consistent fruit quality. Planar canopies and central leader systems provide more uniform light conditions, resulting in larger fruit, higher soluble solids content, and greater efficiency in pruning, thinning, and harvesting. A comparison between the 2D fruiting wall and the 3D Quad-V system showed that the 2D fruiting wall maintained higher photosynthetic efficiency and a more uniform light environment in the lower canopy. In some cultivars, it also improved fruit firmness, skin color, dry matter content, and yield per unit area (Chatzieffraimidis et al., 2025). 2.2 Crop load management and fruit thinning Competition among fruits, as well as between fruits and other sink organs, limits the growth potential of individual fruit. Therefore, the main purpose of fruit thinning is to improve fruit size and internal quality by adjusting the source–sink relationship. In general, a higher crop load increases total yield per tree but reduces individual fruit weight, fruit diameter, and several quality traits. In contrast, reducing crop load usually improves soluble solids content (SSC), total sugar, the sugar-to-acid ratio, fruit coloration, and fruit maturity. Under different crop load treatments, reducing the number of fruits increased the weight of mature fruit by 24.52%, 39.73%, and 51.68% compared with the non-thinned control. SSC increased by 30.78%, 37.63%, and 49.69%, while the sugar-to-acid ratio and fruit color also improved (Wang et al., 2023). However, the effectiveness of thinning depends on both cultivar and growing region. The timing and intensity of thinning should therefore be adjusted according to local conditions. Flower thinning during bloom reduces competition at an early stage and maximizes fruit growth potential, but it may lead to excessive yield loss in areas with unstable fruit set or high weather risk. Fruit thinning at about 21 days after full bloom or before pit hardening is generally considered a more reliable strategy because it balances fruit enlargement with yield stability (Sutton et al., 2020; Mazzoni et al., 2022). 2.3 Irrigation management and water supply Irrigation is essential for maintaining tree health and yield, and it also directly affects fruit size, firmness, soluble solids content, organic acids, phenolic compounds, and mineral composition. Therefore, water management should aim to maintain stable yield, improve water use efficiency, and enhance fruit quality.
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