Published in Scientific Papers. Series B, Horticulture, Vol. LXVIV, Issue 2
Written by Ivona Cristina MAZILU, Emil CHITU, Mirela CĂLINESCU, Florin PLĂIAŞU, Leinar SEPTAR, Zsolt JAKAB-ILYEFALVI, Sorina SIRBU, Calin-Viorel OLTENACU
The paper analyzes the impact of climate change on the 20-year frequency of climatic accidents and the intensity of damage to apricot, peach, and sweet cherry flower buds in the continental climate of Romania. There was a rise from 2004 to 2023 in winter minimum temperature and mean temperature, especially in February, March, and April. Between 2004 and 2023, climatic accidents were registered in Romania in 14 years during the dormancy or in the first growth stages, i.e. damages caused by late frosts in 9 years, in three years (2006, 2010, and 2012) frosts below the hardiness limit of some fruit species causing damages during dormancy, and also in three years (2004, 2015, and 2016) bud damages caused by thermal oscillation in the dormant season (35-40°C in only 2-7 days). In 7 of the 20 analyzed years, the damages caused to the flower buds of some cultivars were major. Although until 2016, damages caused by frosts and thermal fluctuations in the dormancy season prevailed, since 2017, in six out of seven years, the damages were caused only by late frosts.
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