Two University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professors decided to focus on diversifying the state's fruit portfolio and turn their eyes to peaches. 

To see higher yields, Dr. Ali Sarkhosh and Dr. José Chaparro incorporated high-density planting on the University orchards. The planting is designed for efficiency and reduces labor needs by making mechanization and precision management easier to implement.

In a high-density system, trees are planted much closer together than in traditional orchards, often in narrow rows with spacing as tight as 4 to 6 feet between trees.

Jonathan Clavijo Herrera, Post-Doctoral Associate in the University's Horticultural Sciences Department, who also helps oversee orchard trials at the UF/IFAS Plant Science Research and Education Unit (PSREU),  said these systems open the door to better precision across the board—from thinning and pruning to pest management. “The tighter spacing allows us to fine-tune inputs and better evaluate cultivar performance under realistic production pressures."

The entity also explains that weather, chill hours, and paying considerable attention to rootstock development should be top of mind for growers looking to make headway in the stone fruit field, since Florida's subtropical climate presents both opportunities and challenges for stone fruit production. 

The university explains that, for Florida growers looking to diversify, peaches can serve as an important transition crop, and for growers facing ongoing disease challenges, stone fruit offers a viable path toward profitability.