Clemson University peach specialist unveils CaroTiger, something to roar about
September 13, 2011
Desmond Layne holds a box of the new CaroTiger peach cultivars
CLEMSON, SC – September 12, 2011 – Celebrating the end to a successful peachseason, Clemson University peach specialist Desmond Layne announced thenaming of a new peach cultivar — CaroTiger. The fourth in the “Caro” —for South Carolina — series, this late-season peach will be available togrowers in January 2013.
“Up until now, this peach just had a number — SC82035-13-48 — but itearned a name during our long-term germplasm evaluation research,” saidLayne. We’ve been testing this particular selection at multiplelocations for several years. Its performance has been excellent. Theinitial cross was made by former Clemson peach breeder David Cain, nowgeneral manager for International Fruit Genetics in Bakersfield, Calif.It was first selected for further evaluation by former ClemsonUniversity Musser Fruit Research Farm manager Bill Newall, and we thinkwe’ve got a winner here.”
New peach selections are tested at a number of peach farms around thestate to evaluate how they will grow in different kinds ofenvironmental conditions, including types of soils, rainfall andtemperature. Layne works closely with the S.C. Peach Council.
South Carolina is the No. 2 peach producer in the country behindCalifornia. In 2011, South Carolina peach production exceeded 100million pounds. The value of the industry exceeds $60 million, and itemploys more than 1,000 people each year.
Layne sees CaroTiger fitting into an important niche in thelate-season when many cultivars at this time of the year may havemarginal eating quality, drop prematurely or are susceptible to disease.
“It’s a really attractive peach, he said. When you cut through theskin into the flesh, you can see that beautiful yellow flesh. It’s ayellow-fleshed, melting flesh, freestone. Occasionally, there may besome red pigmentation around the pit. It’s no problem. Those areanthocyanin pigments, which are antioxidants, which is a health benefitfor you.”
Layne explained his choice of the name CaroTiger:
“Well, over the last several years, there have been other peachreleases from Clemson, he said. There’s been Caroking, Carored,Carogem. So this goes along in that same series of names: Caro beingCarolina or South Carolina and Tiger because the Clemson Tiger is ouruniversity mascot. If you look at the surface of the skin, you’ve gotthis yellow background color and you’ve got the red overcolor or blush.It kind of looks like a tiger.”
Each week this peach season, Layne has created a new videorecommending the top-performing peach for that timeframe. CaroTiger isfeatured as No. 18 in this year’s series. It and many other educationalvideos can be viewed at his “Everything About Peaches” website.
To get Layne’s latest information on peaches, follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/PeachDoctor. For more videos and information about peaches, visit his “Everything About Peaches” website at www.clemson.edu/peach. To read Layne’s columns for the American Fruit Grower magazine, visit its website at www.growingproduce.com. The CaroTiger video can be viewed at http://www.clemson.edu/extension/peach/video_everything_about_peaches/peach_picks18.html.
Associated Expert
Desmond R Layne
Associate Professor, Horticulture
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