Articles
Dynamic modeling for fruit size and yield estimation in kiwifruit cultivars under potential scenarios of temperature changes
Article number
1425_43
Pages
333 – 340
Language
English
Abstract
Predicting species responses to climate change is a major challenge in agriculture.
Chile is positioned as one of the main producers of kiwifruit in the southern hemisphere, although it is also classified as highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
This study looks at the potential impact of climate change (considering temperature changes only) on total yield and fruit size in kiwifruit cultivars, with a focus on the main growing area of Chile.
Kiwifruit is characterized by a long fruit growth period (more than 4 months) during the summer and fruit productivity is highly dependent on pollination.
Therefore, increased temperatures during flowering and pre-harvest can have a negative impact on final fruit size and yield.
Several trials were conducted in ‘Hayward’ and ‘Jintao’ orchards in the Central Valley of Chile.
Fruit length and equatorial diameter (maximum and minimum) were measured throughout the growing season.
Fruit quality parameters were evaluated at harvest.
The thermal time was calculated using temperature sensor records available at each orchard.
The dynamic model was built with Stella® software, which estimates the yield and average fruit weight as a function of thermal time accumulated in degree-days (°C-day), fruit set, flowering and harvest date.
The size distribution is estimated from the average fruit weight considering the commercial categories.
Preliminary results indicate that fruit weight and yield are reduced by approximately 8 and 2% when the average temperature during pollination increased by 1.5 and 2.4°C in ‘Jintao’ and ‘Hayward’, respectively.
Chile is positioned as one of the main producers of kiwifruit in the southern hemisphere, although it is also classified as highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
This study looks at the potential impact of climate change (considering temperature changes only) on total yield and fruit size in kiwifruit cultivars, with a focus on the main growing area of Chile.
Kiwifruit is characterized by a long fruit growth period (more than 4 months) during the summer and fruit productivity is highly dependent on pollination.
Therefore, increased temperatures during flowering and pre-harvest can have a negative impact on final fruit size and yield.
Several trials were conducted in ‘Hayward’ and ‘Jintao’ orchards in the Central Valley of Chile.
Fruit length and equatorial diameter (maximum and minimum) were measured throughout the growing season.
Fruit quality parameters were evaluated at harvest.
The thermal time was calculated using temperature sensor records available at each orchard.
The dynamic model was built with Stella® software, which estimates the yield and average fruit weight as a function of thermal time accumulated in degree-days (°C-day), fruit set, flowering and harvest date.
The size distribution is estimated from the average fruit weight considering the commercial categories.
Preliminary results indicate that fruit weight and yield are reduced by approximately 8 and 2% when the average temperature during pollination increased by 1.5 and 2.4°C in ‘Jintao’ and ‘Hayward’, respectively.
Authors
C. Pinto, V. Tudela
Keywords
Actinidia, pollination, fruit weight, yield, thermal time, crop value
Groups involved
- Division Plant-Environment Interactions in Field Systems
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Working Group Modelling in Fruit Research and Orchard Management
- Working Group Modelling Plant Growth, Environmental Control, Greenhouse Environment
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
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