Bioscience Evidence 2026, Vol.16, No.4, 221-234 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/be 226 aim to maintain an appropriate leaf-to-fruit ratio and achieve uniform fruit maturity, because fruits supplied with sufficient carbohydrates generally develop better quality at harvest. Moderate deficit irrigation can save water while improving fruit quality. For example, irrigation at 75% ETc produced larger fruits without reducing total yield and increased soluble solids content (SSC), vitamin C, fruit firmness, the sugar-to-acid ratio, and fruit coloration (Toumi et al., 2022; Losciale et al., 2020). Fertilizer management should also be adjusted according to the fruit development stage. Higher nitrogen supply during Stage II favors yield formation, while higher nitrogen and potassium supply during Stages III and IV improves fruit weight, fruit diameter, SSC, and skin color. In contrast, excessive phosphorus supply is not favorable for total sugar accumulation (Maatallah et al., 2024). 4.3 Challenges and limitations The main challenges in commercial orchards are labor shortages, environmental constraints, and production costs. Peach production still depends heavily on manual operations such as pruning, thinning, and harvesting. Rising labor costs reduce investment in careful orchard management and often result in less detailed pruning and fruit thinning, which can directly affect fruit quality (Yuan and Chen, 2019). Sustainable practices such as mechanical weed control combined with ground cover can increase biodiversity without significantly reducing yield, and some fruit quality traits may even improve. However, these practices are more expensive per hectare than chemical weed control and often require government support or premium market prices to remain economically viable (Mia et al., 2020). Moderate deficit irrigation is effective in water-limited regions, but its benefits depend on water quality. Under saline irrigation conditions, irrigation at 50% ETc can save water but may reduce yield by about 20% and increase salt accumulation around drip emitters (Toumi et al., 2024). In some peach-growing regions of China, fertilizer application has historically been excessive. Environmental impacts mainly come from fertilizer production, transportation, and field application. Therefore, improving fruit quality does not simply mean applying more fertilizer. Better results can be achieved by reducing fertilizer inputs, increasing the proportion of basal fertilizer, and optimizing fertilizer application frequency (Li et al., 2022). Sensors, Vis-NIRS, and other non-destructive quality monitoring technologies have the potential to support fruit maturity assessment, nutrient management, and irrigation decisions in smart orchards. However, these technologies still need more affordable and practical solutions before they can be widely adopted in commercial orchards (Shin et al., 2023). 5 Case Studies of Orchard Management for Peach Fruit Quality 5.1 Zhejiang peach production region Zhejiang is one of the major fresh peach production regions in China, with peach orchards mainly distributed in Huzhou, Jiaxing, Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Taizhou. Unlike northern peach-growing regions, where fruit quality mainly depends on high sugar accumulation, the peach industry in Zhejiang is strongly market-oriented toward fresh consumption. Therefore, fruit quality is evaluated not only by soluble solids and yield but also by fruit appearance, aroma, texture, food safety, and product uniformity. Liu et al. (2023) evaluated pesticide residues and fruit quality in several specialty fruits from Zhejiang, including yellow peach. The study measured pesticide residue types and concentrations in fruit samples collected from different production areas and assessed consumer health risks using dietary exposure models. Overall, pesticide residue levels in Zhejiang peach samples were low, and long-term dietary exposure risks were also low. These results indicate that green pest management and standardized pesticide application have improved in Zhejiang peach orchards in recent years (Figure 2). However, fruit quality still varied among orchards. Even when fruit met food safety standards, differences remained in fruit appearance, sugar-to-acid ratio, and sensory quality. The climate of Zhejiang is characterized by rainy springs and hot, humid summers. Under these conditions, peach trees are highly susceptible to brown rot, anthracnose, bacterial shot hole disease, aphids, fruit borers, and other
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