Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Chilling and Forcing for the Main Fresh Fruit Regions in Portugal.

ABSTRACT: Air temperature plays a major role in the growth cycle of fruit trees. Chilling and forcing are two of the main mechanisms that drive temperate fruit development, namely dormancy and active plant development. Given the strong sensitivity of these crops to air temperature and the foreseeable warming under future climates, it becomes imperative to analyze climate change impacts for fruit trees. The fruit sector in Portugal has risen significantly over the last decades, gaining increasing importance both internally and through exports. The present research assesses the impacts of climate change on the chilling and forcing for economically relevant fruit trees in Portugal, namely apples, oranges, pears, and plums. To assess temperate fruit chilling and forcing conditions, the chilling portions

SUBMITTER: Fraga H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8262527 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature