Finding a way to identify the bloom date of cherry trees in light of potential impacts from climate change is the goal of a study conducted by academics from the School of Agronomy at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso.

“Improving two-phase phenology models to forecast bloom in sweet cherry trees under future climate scenarios” is the name of this Fondecyt 2024 project, awarded to Professor Eduardo Fernández.

“Deciduous fruit trees spend their winter period dormant, meaning they have no leaves. Therefore, an important stage for the cherry industry is knowing when the trees will bloom, as it allows fruit growers to schedule certain activities like the application of foliar treatments, pollination, or hiring dates for the harvest,” Fernández stated.

The lecturer from the School of Agronomy at PUCV added that “climate change has caused the bloom date of deciduous trees to vary over the decades, which is why we now want to know how we can predict this event and anticipate future temperature changes.”

According to Fernández, the choice of this tree for his study is not coincidental. “The cherry tree is one of the most cultivated species in our country regarding temperate fruit trees. Chile ranks as the world’s top exporter in this area, making it a very relevant economic activity for the country’s fruit industry,” the researcher detailed.

Fernández explained that the project will be implemented in numerous orchards nationwide. “For the various activities that will be carried out in the project, I have contacted about 40 fruit growers and also with advisors and research centers related to the topic. The idea is to form a collaboration strategy with them so that the results can be directly applicable to their orchards,” the researcher elaborated.

Source: https://www.pucv.cl/pucv/investigaran-variacion-del-ciclo-de-floracion-de-los-cerezos-debido-al