Articles
Estimation of chilling and heat requirements of peach and nectarine cultivars grown under different pedoclimatic conditions
Article number
1352_63
Pages
463 – 470
Language
English
Abstract
Climate change is already depicted as an increase in winter temperatures resulting in lower chilling accumulation that is required for proper flowering and subsequent fruit set in temperate fruit species.
Since temperature requirements are cultivar-specific, the knowledge of these requirements may be valuable for predicting the adaptability of each cultivar to particular areas.
The most widely used method for estimating chilling requirements is the Tabuenca test.
However, little is known on the stability of results obtained from the above methodology in different years or pedoclimatic conditions.
To this aim, experiments were carried out in Lleida (Spain) and Naoussa (Greece) on 14 different peach and nectarine cultivars, representing a wide range of pomological and phenological characteristics, belonging to the EUFRIN testing trial network.
Chilling accumulation was similar in both locations, but the most efficient chilling period was earlier in winter in Lleida, resulting to a mean of a 2-day earlier end of dormancy (15 January vs 17 January). Following endodormancy, heat accumulation was much higher in Naoussa resulting in a 12-day earlier beginning of bloom, suggesting that blooming time was more regulated by heat rather than cold accumulation in both locations.
Chill requirements of the studied cultivars were estimated using four models; low coefficient of variation (CV%) was observed using the Dynamic, Utah and Positive Utah Models.
Instead, high CV% was found with the Chilling Hours model and no significant differences among cultivars, indicating for a low suitability in the studied regions.
Chilling requirements ranged from 48.3 to 68.7 Chilling Portions (CP); in the lowest range were Carla, Patty and Big Top (48.3, 51.0 and 55.8 CP, respectively) whereas Catherina and OHenry (64.0 and 68.7 CP, respectively) had the highest chilling requirements.
No differences in heat requirements among the examined cultivars was monitored.
There was no effect of location on chilling and heating requirements of the studied cultivars, apart from the Positive Utah and Chilling Hours models; to this aim more studies under more contrasting chilling regimes are needed to further elucidate the effect of pedoclimatic conditions for a given cultivar.
Since temperature requirements are cultivar-specific, the knowledge of these requirements may be valuable for predicting the adaptability of each cultivar to particular areas.
The most widely used method for estimating chilling requirements is the Tabuenca test.
However, little is known on the stability of results obtained from the above methodology in different years or pedoclimatic conditions.
To this aim, experiments were carried out in Lleida (Spain) and Naoussa (Greece) on 14 different peach and nectarine cultivars, representing a wide range of pomological and phenological characteristics, belonging to the EUFRIN testing trial network.
Chilling accumulation was similar in both locations, but the most efficient chilling period was earlier in winter in Lleida, resulting to a mean of a 2-day earlier end of dormancy (15 January vs 17 January). Following endodormancy, heat accumulation was much higher in Naoussa resulting in a 12-day earlier beginning of bloom, suggesting that blooming time was more regulated by heat rather than cold accumulation in both locations.
Chill requirements of the studied cultivars were estimated using four models; low coefficient of variation (CV%) was observed using the Dynamic, Utah and Positive Utah Models.
Instead, high CV% was found with the Chilling Hours model and no significant differences among cultivars, indicating for a low suitability in the studied regions.
Chilling requirements ranged from 48.3 to 68.7 Chilling Portions (CP); in the lowest range were Carla, Patty and Big Top (48.3, 51.0 and 55.8 CP, respectively) whereas Catherina and OHenry (64.0 and 68.7 CP, respectively) had the highest chilling requirements.
No differences in heat requirements among the examined cultivars was monitored.
There was no effect of location on chilling and heating requirements of the studied cultivars, apart from the Positive Utah and Chilling Hours models; to this aim more studies under more contrasting chilling regimes are needed to further elucidate the effect of pedoclimatic conditions for a given cultivar.
Publication
Authors
G. Pantelidis, G. Reig, C.M. Cantín, D. Giovannini, P. Drogoudi
Keywords
phenology, Prunus persica, temperature, climate change
Groups involved
Online Articles (87)