Estimation of Cold Requirement for Deciduous Fruit Tree Varieties

In temperate climates, deciduous fruit trees such as cherries and European plums enter a natural state of dormancy during the fall and winter months, a process critical to fruit trees' growth cycle. Cold demand, i.e., the amount of low temperature required during the plant's dormant period, is a key factor in the cultivation of fruit trees, especially in facilitated cultivation, and is directly related to the success or failure of fruit tree cultivation. For deciduous fruit varieties such as cherries and European plums, the estimation of cold demand is essential for identifying suitable cultivation areas, optimizing the management of facilities, and predicting the impact of climate change on fruit production.

Lifeasible offers a service for estimating the cooling requirement of deciduous fruit varieties, which aims to provide fruit growers and agricultural planners with accurate data through scientific estimation methods. Our service can be performed during the fall and winter and requires using branches with nutrients and buds as samples. Accurate estimation of cold demand ensures that fruit trees can enter the growth cycle smoothly after the natural dormancy is lifted, thus improving fruit yield and quality.

Why Estimate Deciduous Fruit Tree Varieties Cold Requirement

Estimation of cold demand of deciduous fruit trees is of great significance for fruit tree cultivation. Cold demand refers to the effective accumulation of low temperatures required by deciduous fruit trees during natural dormancy to lift the dormant state and normally enter the next growth cycle. The estimation of cold demand is crucial for the following aspects.

• Guiding fruit tree cultivation. The estimation of cold demand helps to determine the suitability of different fruit tree varieties in a particular climate region, thus guiding the farmers to choose the right varieties for cultivation to ensure that the fruit trees can complete the dormant period and normal growth.
• Facility cultivation management. In facility cultivation, understanding cold demand is instructive in controlling environmental conditions, promoting timely budding and flowering of fruit trees, and helping to improve fruit quality and yield.
• Adaptation to climate change. Estimating cold demand can help predict and adapt to global climate change and reduce the impact of climate change on fruit tree production.
• Introduction of cultivars. When introducing fruit tree varieties into new climatic zones, estimation of cold demand can be used to assess the varieties' adaptability and avoid growth and development problems caused by unmet cold demand.

Our Service for Cold Requirement Estimate of Fruit Tree Varieties

By applying various models, we can help fruit growers and agricultural planners better to understand the cold demand characteristics of different varieties, and thus make more rational cultivation decisions. For example, estimates of cold demand can be used to determine which varieties are better suited for cultivation under certain climatic conditions or how temperature management can be adapted in facilities to meet the cold requirements of fruit trees. Below, we briefly introduce several commonly used models for estimating cold demand.

• 0-7.2°C model. This is one of the most commonly used estimation models, which estimates cold demand by calculating the number of hours of low temperatures when the average daily temperature is steadily below 7.2°C. The model is used to estimate the cold demand of fruit trees.
• Utah model. This model defines one hour of optimal cold temperature with the highest dormancy-breaking efficiency as a unit of cold temperature, considering different temperatures' contribution to dormancy lifting.
• Kinetic model. This is a more complex model that considers the number of cycles of synthesis and the degradation of intermediates in fruit trees at low temperatures as a measure of cold demand.

Fig.2 Process of cold requirement estimate. (Lifeasible)

Why Choose Us?

• We utilize advanced estimation models and big data analysis to provide accurate cold demand estimation services to help fruit farmers rationalize cultivating and managing fruit trees.
• We provide customized cold requirement estimation services according to the climatic characteristics of different regions and the characteristics of varying fruit tree varieties to ensure that the recommendations are more in line with the actual needs.
• We combine the knowledge of experts in the fields of plant physiology, meteorology, and molecular biology to build an expert system and provide more professional consulting services.
• We continue to carry out research and development, constantly optimize the estimation model, and track the latest scientific research results to ensure that our services are always at the forefront of the industry.

Lifeasible is an industry leader in agricultural research. We continue to delve deeper into the biological mechanisms underlying the cold demand of deciduous fruit trees and provide advanced technology to help researchers estimate the cold demand of fruit trees. Our services play an essential role in promoting the health of the fruit tree industry. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us.