Origin Of Peaches In South Africa

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1General introduction

Its reported in the national development plan of South Africa (2012:197) that agriculture by 2030 will create employment opportunity of about one million new jobs ,In this development document its reported that peach is in the third quarter of potential growth while nectarines being at the second quarter of potential growth . Peaches proving to be useful product in the secondary agriculture, it’s therefore pivotal that an understanding of the crop is gained and processes are evaluated from primary level to the point of post harvest handling.

1.1.2 Origin of peaches

The origin of peach evoke a great sense of attribution to the people of China ,it also indicate how mankind have developed in the science of knowledge .The peach has a botanical name of Prunus persica .This scientifically name originate from the school of thought that perceived peach to be from Persia (this would include Iran in modern day ) ,its believed this view was first published by Linne in 1758 ( Bassi and Monet ,2008:1).Then In 1883 De Candolle first acknowledge that Peach originated in China quoted by Faust and Timon (1995) using genes to prove the origin of peach which indicated peach is from China . In the middle ages it imagined that France was the second major place of origin (Bassi and Monet, 2008:2).

1.1.3 Botanical aspect

The scientific name of peach is Prunus persica, it belongs to the family Rosaceae(Bassi and Monet 2008:5). Peach has straight and smooth trunk with somewhat reddish to greenish bark in its first year of growth with later becoming dark grey silver (Bassi and Monet 2008:5).This would be a small tree but can reach 8m if not pruned ,the leaves are lanceolate but the size will depend on tree vi...

... middle of paper ...

...ometer .Their five firmness tester namely Magness –Taylor pressure tester, effe-gi fruit penetrometer handheld and mounted ,UC fruit firmness tester and the deformation tester .Here the Magness Taylor pressure tester will be used ,three samples of each commodities will be used ,the commodity possessing the same temperature ,two puncture per fruit will be made on each side of the equatorial region of the fruit ,sights with sunburn will be avoided as the will present incorrect readings .Small disc of the skin of the product will be removed as it’s not the point of interest except on peppers .The fruit must be held by a hand in one stationary position

13

on the hard plates then forcing the plunger at constant speed to the fruit ,then reading will be taken .

E)Determination of Titratable Acidity

In relation to Titrate acid in fruit is the relationship between acidity and