1. Understanding the Impacts of Climate on Perennial Crops
- Author
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Jovanka Nikolic, S. D. Ddumba, D.R. Young, A. Pollyea, Perdinan, A.B. Cinderich, Julie A. Winkler, D. Doubler, and Costanza Zavalloni
- Subjects
Crop ,Land use ,Pollination ,Agroforestry ,Phenology ,fungi ,Vulnerability ,food and beverages ,Environmental science ,Climate change ,Growing degree-day ,Plant disease - Abstract
Perennial crops are particularly vulnerable to climate given their exposure to fluctuating weather conditions throughout the year. Key climate-influenced vulnerabilities include winter chill fulfillment, springtime freeze risk, pollination, heat stress, and disease and insect pest pressure. Other contributions to vulnerability include changes in consumer demand, competing land uses, and competition with other production regions. Although climate-related risk varies with crop type and location, recent trends observed for a number of perennial crops and locations include earlier dates of phenological stages and a reduction in chilling hours. Changes in fruit quality and the frequency of damaging spring freeze events are less consistent between locations and cultivars. Assessments of the impact of climate on perennial crop production need to move beyond the local–regional scale, and recognize that perennial crops constitute an international market system with multiple production regions that differ in terms of climate vulnerability.
- Published
- 2013
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