Will changing climate in cherry growing regions result in the removal of some cherry cultivars from the preferred planting lists?
Will a lack of sufficient chill hours mean that in some areas, cherry varieties that require high chilling to set a crop be either removed from the orchard or grafted over to medium chill varieties?
Will more high chill varieties be planted at higher elevations or in micro climates that are better suited to the environment that supports cherry flowering and high production.
Are harvest times changing
Timing of harvest has varied greatly in some locations. The shift has been observed by growers who collected data over many years, or recorded full bloom and harvest dates in their spray diaries.
In Europe, cherry scientists collect such data and more, to try and learn about the changes that may take place over time.
Collected over many years, this data will assist in predicting the outcomes of a warmer climate in cherry production and lead to a greater understanding of climate effects on flowering and fruiting of sweet cherries in cherry growing regions.
Increased planting of lower chill cherries
Many sweet cherry growing countries have experienced an increase in plantings of lower chill varieties in response to recent weather patterns.
However, high chill cultivars and the climate that supports them can produce a cherry of very high quality because it takes more growing degree days from full bloom to harvest to produce cherries, than it does on a low chill cultivar.
Cherry climate studies in Australia
I have previously referred to the document above, produced by Cherry Growers of Australia and SARDI about climate risk management for sweet cherries in Australia (find it at the CGA website: cherrygrowers.org.au/climate).
Although published over a decade ago, there is still much that is relevant today.
Cherry growers could do well to take the time to read it again in order to plot their course for the future using risk management as a tool to assist in their decision making.
See this article in Tree Fruit March 2023
