ISHS Acta Horticulturae 707: VII International Symposium on Modelling in Fruit Research and Orchard Management
AN ESTIMATION MODEL OF THE CLIMATIC RATING IN THE ‘GOLDEN DELICIOUS’ APPLE CULTIVAR IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF ROMANIA |
| Authors: | C. Paltineanu, E. Chitu |
| Keywords: | weather parameters for temperate climate, fruit yield zoning, fruit number per |
| Abstract:
The effects of climate variables including air temperature, sunshine hours relative air humidity atmospheric precipitation, Penman-Monteith reference evapotranspiration (PM-ET°) and precipitation deficit on apple crop production were examined using a weather database consisting of 35 years (1969–2003) and ‘Golden Delicious’ apple production data for 1992-2003. Link strengths for the relative frequencies of weather data and biological parameters were evaluated. The climate rating estimation model was based on the identification of time intervals that produced good correlations between major climatic and phenological dynamics. Fruit yield was more intensively correlated to the fruit number per tree than to average fruit mass. The percentage of fruit set was positively influenced by an increase in sunshine hours during May, precipitation deficit during May and June, and PM-ET° in May, while a negative influence was exerted by the relative air humidity during April-May and rainfall amount in May-June. The process of fruit set was hampered during June by an increase in PM-ET°, mean and maximum air temperature and sunshine hours. The third critical period from the climatic view point was the July - September period, during which the average fruit mass was strongly influenced. Using the correlation-based model, the climatically-determined potential fruit yield could be estimated in order to allow more precise zoning of apple orchards under optimal soil and climate conditions. The model could be improved in the future by developing additional relationships for irrigated orchards. | |
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