Evaluation of the phenological, pomological, physicochemical, and biochemical characteristics of early peach and nectarine cultivars grown under mediterranean conditions

Background Peach is an important summer fruit widely cultivated in temperate and subtropical regions of the world. This research was conducted between 2021 and 2025 at the experimental and research orchard of Akdeniz University, Manavgat Vocational School (Manavgat, Antalya, Türkiye). In the study, the flowering phenology as well as the pomological, physicochemical, and biochemical characteristics of early peach (Filomena, Plogod-9) and nectarine (Garbaja, Patagonia) cultivars were evaluated. Results It was determined that the phenological stages of early peach and nectarine cultivars generally exhibited similarities depending on climatic conditions. According to the average values, bud break occurred between late January and early February (21 January–6 February), flowering took place between late January and mid-February (27 January–20 February), and full bloom was observed between early February and early March (6 February–5 March). Harvesting was completed during May (7 May–30 May). In all cultivars, leaf fall began around 15 November and continued until 15 December. In early peach cultivars, the average fruit weight was determined to range from 66.50 to 121.20 g, fruit width from 46.56 to 57.78 mm, fruit length from 50.12 to 62.35 mm, seed weight from 4.86 to 8.35 g, seed width from 16.45 to 20.13 mm, and seed length from 27.24 to 34.98 mm. In early nectarine cultivars, the average fruit weight ranged from 77.60 to 119.90 g, fruit width from 49.98 to 60.85 mm, fruit length from 44.04 to 57.24 mm, seed weight from 5.35 to 8.69 g, seed width from 16.51 to 20.01 mm, and seed length from 24.84 to 31.87 mm. Among the peach cultivars, Filomena exhibited higher values, particularly in terms of soluble solids content (SSC) and certain color parameters (a* and C*), whereas Plogod-9 showed higher L and h° values in some years. These findings indicate that fruit quality attributes may vary depending on the year. Among the nectarine cultivars, Garbaja was found to have higher values for most color parameters (L, a*, b*, C*, and h°). As a result of biochemical analyses, the Patagonia cultivar was found to stand out in terms of phenolic compounds and total sugar content, while the Garbaja cultivar exhibited higher flavonoid content, and the Plogod-9 cultivar showed higher values in terms of vitamin C content. Conclusion In conclusion, it was demonstrated that early peach and nectarine cultivars with low chilling requirements can be successfully grown under Mediterranean conditions. Furthermore, the studied early cultivars were found to possess significant potential in terms of biochemical characteristics, and it was concluded that these cultivars are promising for early-season production in the Mediterranean ecology.