INFLUENCE OF WINTER FROSTS ON SOME PEACH CULTIVARS OF DOBROGEA

This heat-loving species always found good conditions for growth and fructification in the south-eastern part of Romania, and especially in Dobrogea. Climate accidents are increasingly studied in fruit trees in recent years under global climate change. The limitative factor of the peach production in this area is represented by temperature oscillations during winter, i.e. relatively high values followed by low temperatures, which may compromise the fruit yield in certain years (2010; 2011; 2012). At the Research Station for Fruit Growing Constanta, a total of 6 cultivars of peach (Springcrest, Springold, Collins, Cardinal, Redhaven, Southland) with different maturation periods were studied. This paper presents the manner in which the peach tree species replied to winter frosts in the climatic conditions recorded in the winters of 2010, 2011 and 2012. The obtained results demonstrate the importance of choosing the proper assortment of peach cultivars for the region.