The weather has posed a risk for Polish apple growers over the past week, says Emilia Lewandowska, office manager for Fruit-Group: "We had a long period with low temperatures in April. We had separate days when, during the night, the temperature was about -6 degrees Celsius, while during the day it was 5 degrees Celsius. At this moment, apples are in the clear, but it is too early to say anything about destroyed buds and loss of production as a result. We're not out of the woods yet, as there are predictions that frost will appear again. Other than apples, we also received word about some black buds in cherries, gooseberries, and plums."
Although the use of irrigation to combat these frosts is sometimes an option, if the cold temperatures persist during the day, it could actually cause even more damage, Lewandowska explains. "Some apple growers used water during low temperatures. This was a good solution when we had higher temperatures during the day. However, when the temperatures were also cold during the day, the water strategy destroyed the buds. So producers were very careful and would not divert to countering frost with irrigation whenever frost did appear."
For both apples and soft fruit, there are risks for the total production, especially since the cold weather could return. But Lewandowska emphasizes that they're not able to assess the actual damages just yet: "At this moment, it is too early to calculate what the potential damages will be. We're still in a time when the weather can change at the drop of a dime. Right now, flowers are opening up. So, flowering has just started, making them vulnerable to further frosts. We'll have to wait and see what will happen over the next three weeks. The same goes for soft fruit, where we'll have to wait and see what the situation is around May."
"There are some predictions that the weather can change in the next few weeks. On Thursday, the temperature was 28 degrees Celsius, with sunny weather, so we will have to see," Lewandowska concludes.
For more information:
Emilia Lewandowska
Fruit-Group SP.z.o.o.
Email: [email protected]
www.fruitgroup.pl