New Zealand's apple industry, projected to be worth $2 billion by 2030, faces a potential threat from climate change as warmer winters could prevent apple trees from flowering. However, scientists are developing new apple varieties that are resilient to climate change. Over 100,000 samples from different apple tree varieties have been collected to test their response to warmer conditions.
"We have recorded what the bud break date is for each variety in orchards in 2020 and 2021," said Moon Chen, a scientist at Plant and Food Research. Several varieties with early bud break and low chilling requirements, ideal for breeding, were identified. However, creating a new climate-resilient apple variety is challenging. "We want to reduce the need for chilling but we want to increase the heat requirements for flowering time, to make sure that happens outside the frost risk," Bus told Newshub.
Wellwood, another industry representative, noted the struggle to color fruit in hotter conditions as apples rely on diurnal temperature differences - warm days, cool nights. The apple industry has several ongoing climate change projects, including a breeding programme in Spain that began in 2022 and has already launched its first commercial apple variety.
Source: newshub.co.nz