Clemson professor’s trip to China could be a boon for peach growers

Published: April 20, 2010

Desmond Layne holds a peach at a market. image by: Desmond Layne

CLEMSON — Desmond R. Layne, state peach specialist and associate professor of pomology at Clemson University, is visiting China to learn how growers are producing peaches in energy-conservation greenhouses.

“The energy-efficient greenhouse production methods for growing peaches in China, if applied in the Southeast, could allow growers to bring high-quality fruit to market four to eight weeks early. This would be a tremendous advantage, especially for small- to medium-size farms that could serve local and regional markets,” said Layne, who was invited by Zhiqiang Wang, a professor and deputy director of the Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute. 

When it comes to peaches, South Carolina and China have a lot to talk about. South Carolina is the second leading peach producer in the United States. China produces 45 percent of the world’s peaches and has a 3,000-year-old relationship with the fruit, which is native to China.

While most peaches in China are grown outdoors in orchards as they are in the United States, approximately 30,000 acres are grown inside energy-conserving greenhouses. South Carolina and Georgia have about 32,000 acres of peaches, all grown outdoors.

Protected cultivation in China may be done with passive solar techniques that use south-facing concrete, cinder block or mud brick walls to absorb heat during the day and slowly release it into the greenhouses during the night. Protected cultivation also can be done using “high tunnels” or “hoop houses.” Both systems reduce pressure from pests and diseases because the crop is not exposed to rain and insects are largely excluded. High-tunnel systems already are being used in the United States for some vegetables and fruit crops.

“Protected cultivation of organic, tree-ripened fruits for the local market has the potential to establish a profitable, early-season niche for South Carolina growers when the only competition is 20-day-old fruit shipped by boat from Chile,” said Layne.

While in China, Layne will collaborate with colleagues at several research institutes and universities in six provinces and tour commercial production operations. He will give presentations about his research and the land-grant extension programs at Clemson University.

He will blog daily with comments and photos that can be found at http://www.growingproduce.com/news/gp/?storyid=3650.

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