Advances and challenges in sustainable peach production

Current trends in separate disciplines (physiology, modelling, precision agriculture) are converging towards the realization of peach (Prunus persica) orchards of increasing sustainability. By adopting precise management techniques, growers already can, and will in the future, be more able to reduce the environmental impact of fruit growing, without sacrificing quality and yields, while maintaining income. This interdisciplinary approach builds on physiological knowledge that provides the foundations for mechanistic models that predict crop performance in real time, allowing growers to fine-tune their orchard management. It can be easily foreseen that, in the near future, timeand space-resolved management practices will become mainstream, ushering in the era of precision fruit growing (PFG). The timing and intensity of irrigation, fertigation and so on will vary across the orchard, during the day and along the season, to boost tree performance while reducing losses of unused water, fertilizer, labour and so on. While some data also indicates a positive carbon footprint for peach, in line with that of apple (Malus domestica) (Scandellari et al., 2016), improving the efficient use of water, fertilizers and other resources will greatly add to the sustainability and profitability of peach orchards. This is an exciting time for these studies, as scientific and technological advances are opening new fields of research in this endeavour.