Biodiversity Foundation Project: Adaptation to climate change through the selection of fruit varieties adapted to milder winters

Climate change model predictions point to an increase in average temperatures during the winter months. These predictions have been confirmed by observations in recent years of phenological changes in various plant species, both cultivated and wild, along the lines of an acceleration in development processes. In the case of temperate zone fruit trees, these changes are frequently associated with flowering problems due to insufficient winter chilling. Over the past few centuries, farmers have empirically selected fruit crop varieties adapted to different geographical areas, largely based on the winter chilling requirements for efficient dormancy.

This rapid decrease in winter chill hours may result in some cultivated fruit tree varieties failing to produce regular harvests, and it would therefore be advisable to adapt to these new circumstances through varietal renewal. However, immediate renewal may lead to varieties with low chill requirements flowering too early in cold areas and potentially suffering from frost. Therefore, the La Mayora Institute of Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticulture (IHSM), part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), with support from the Biodiversity Foundation, has completed a project studying the adaptation of fruit trees to climate change by comparing species on the Malaga coast, where winter cold is low, and the Ebro Valley in Zaragoza, a colder area.

This workshop focused on fruit varieties such as cherry, almond, peach, and plum trees from temperate zones and the effect of climate change on them. The objective was to understand the impact that the expected rise in temperatures due to climate change will have on harvests.