Problems of peach (Prunus persica) tolerance to anaerobic conditions due to excess soil water

Fruit trees are as a rule not cultivated where flooding and protracted waterlogging are high risk. Flooding is to be considered an exceptional event. In spite of that tree crops are often grown in low conductivity, heavy clay soils or where long-terrn shallow water-table conditions exist during the wet season (Branzanti and Intrieri, 1968). Shallow water tables occur frequently in areas where the drainage is poor and seepage from rivers, channels and aquifers is present. In areas where a record of water-table fluctuations is sometimes available or can be measured easily, the knowledge of the tolerance of different species and rootstocks is a must for efficient productive performance. This paper is a survey of the literature regarding the effects of waterlogging on peach trees taking into account a wide range of implementations.