ISHS Acta Horticulturae 499: V International Symposium on Computer Modelling in Fruit Research and Orchard Management
USING THE RELATION BETWEEN GROWING DEGREE HOURS AND HARVEST DATE TO ESTIMATE RUN-TIMES FOR PEACH: A TREE GROWTH AND YIELD SIMULATION MODEL |
| Authors: | M. Ben Mimoun, T.M. DeJong |
| Keywords: | Growing degree hour, harvest day, peach simulation model, yield |
| Abstract:
The hypothesis that Growing Degree Hour (GDH) accumulation affects the length of the fruit growth period was tested on different stone-fruit cultivars. A strong correlation was found between the accumulation of the GDH during thirty days after bloom and the harvest date. This relation is introduced on PEACH, a computer simulation model of annual carbon supply and demand for reproductive and vegetative growth of peach trees. In previous versions, the PEACH model used the degree-day (DD) accumulation to predict the harvest date. The revised model uses the daily minimum and maximum temperatures to calculate the GDH accumulation during the first month of fruit growth and estimates the number of growing days for the specific year and cultivar. The GDH relation improves the model prediction of the harvest date and simultaneously improves the ability of the PEACH model to predict yield. Results are discussed for early and late peach cultivars and for different years and locations. | |
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