Temperate fruit (pome and stone)

Temperate fruit trees are those adapted to a temperate climate. They are members of the family Rosaceae, whose species include those of pome (apple, pear, and quince) and stone fruit (apricot, cherry, nectarine, peach, and plum). Their fruit contributes significantly to human food, as their daily consumption provides health benefits.

Pome fruit have a core of several small seeds, surrounded by a tough membrane. The membrane is encased in an edible layer of flesh.

Stone fruit is the general term used for some fruit of the Prunus genus. Botanically, stone fruit are drupes. A drupe is a fleshy fruit with a thin, edible outer skin (epicarp), an edible flesh of varying thickness beneath the skin (mesocarp) and a hard inner ovary wall that is highly lignified (endocarp) and is commonly referred to as a stone or pit, which encloses a seed.

Temperate fruit trees are deciduous and have a dormant winter period that requires cold temperatures for the tree to properly break dormancy in spring.

The department has several staff dedicated to working with temperate fruit, including projects on: rootstock and variety assessment; irrigation and nutrition; biological control; integrated pest and disease management (IPDM); crop load management; and factors affecting market access (e.g. managing Queensland fruit fly).