After several years of relatively warm winters that made the accumulation of sufficient chilling hours for stone fruits in northern Greece a challenging issue, the current winter seems favorable for the production of peaches and nectarines in Naoussa, the key region for these fruits in Greece, where significant volumes of cherries, plums, and apples are also grown.
Mrs. Pavlina Drogoudi, Research Director at the Department of Deciduous Fruit Trees of the Greek Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, mentions: "We are approximately halfway through winter, and the accumulation of chilling hours is similar to or greater than in previous "cold" years when normal production was observed". The visualized data provided by the Institute show a greater accumulation of chilling hours than in previous seasons, according to all measurement models (see graphic).
Mrs. Drogoudi is optimistic about the remaining winter period and the completion of the remaining required chilling hours. As she says: "Since February is typically the coldest month, it is expected that all deciduous fruit tree varieties will meet their chilling requirements for breaking dormancy, and it is likely that there will be no fruitlessness due to a lack of winter chill."
However, despite the good progress so far, it is not certain that problems will not arise. The Greek scientist warns that "Producers should focus on addressing the potential risk of damage from spring frost. Varieties with low chilling requirements for dormancy break may bloom early, during winter, under "false spring" conditions. The cold resistance of buds gradually decreases from dormancy break to flowering and fruit set."
Mrs. Drogoudi suggests that producers should be well aware of the chilling hours' history of their specific region when deciding which varieties to plant. "For new plantings, producers should be aware that deciduous fruit tree varieties with high chilling requirements (for dormancy break) usually bloom later, reducing the risk of exposure to frost. Care should be taken as varieties with low chilling requirements are not suitable for cold regions, as they may bloom early—during winter. Therefore, it is not advisable to introduce varieties acclimated to warm regions and plant them in areas where frosts occur," Mrs. Drogoudi concludes.
For more information:
Pavlina Drogoudi
Department of Deciduous Fruit Trees, Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources
Tel: +30 233 204 1548
pdrogoudi@elgo.gr
www.pomologyinstitute.gr