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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Byron, Georgia » Fruit and Tree Nut Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #413500
Research Project: Genetic Improvement of Stone Fruit Crops/Cultivars for the Southeastern United States

Location: Fruit and Tree Nut Research

Title: ‘Cardinal Joy’ Peach

Author
item Chen, Chunxian
item OKIE, WILLIAM - Retired ARS Employee

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/8/2023
Publication Date: 1/23/2024
Citation: Chen, C., Okie, W.R. 2024. ‘Cardinal Joy’ Peach. HortScience. 59/2,264-265. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI17592-23.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI17592-23

Interpretive Summary: The Southeastern U.S. peach industry’s shipping market demands large firm attractive peaches with yellow melting flesh, balanced acidity, and pleasant eating quality. A new peach cultivar named ‘Cardinal Joy’ has been released. Fruit have high blush, yellow melting flesh, balanced acidity, pleasant flavor and good firmness, similar to most of the USDA-ARS (Byron, GA) releases that still dominate the production profile in the area. ‘Cardinal Joy’ is a promising early-season candidate with a chilling requirement of ~850 chill hours and is suggested for trials wherever the “prince” and “Joy” series cultivars are grown.

Technical Abstract: A new and distinct cultivar of peach tree, denominated ‘Cardinal Joy’, produce early-season fruit with high blush, semi-freestone pit, yellow melting flesh, balanced acidity, and pleasant eating quality at maturity. The fruit typically ripen about a week after 'Flavorich' (syn. ‘Rich May’) and a few days before ‘‘Carored’ in mid to late May at Byron, GA. The tree has showy pink flowers and is moderately vigorous and semi-spreading in growth habit. This cultivar has a winter chilling requirement of approximately 850 chill hours, crops well most years, and is suggested for trials wherever the “prince” and “Joy” series cultivars are grown.