With the objective of evaluating the influence of soil management practices and the intensity of fruit thinning during their growth and the commercial classification of peach' cultivars Cerrito and Chimarrita, an experiment was conducted in peach orchards (Prunus persica L. Batsch), in the rural area of Pelotas/RS. Since 1996, in these orchards, plots have been managed with a sod of black-oat (Avena strigosa Schreb) as well as weeds soil cleaning through tilling and/or use of herbicides. These are common practices in the Peach Integrated Production system (PIP), and the conventional production system (PC). In both systems (PIP and PC), the plants were submitted to three intensities of fruit thinning, having as reference the ratio: fruit number.cm-2 of the transversal trunk section area, measured 20 cm above soil surface, leaving: 4; 5; or 6 fruits.cm-2. From September to December fruit growth at the sutured diameter was measured every week and during the harvesting period, the classification of the fruits by size (type 1, 2 and 3). Total soil covering with black-oat showed no interference in the fruit growth when compared to the conventional soil management (PC), for cv. Cerrito.
Peach-tree; integrated production; typify; growth fruit
