Author: David Gibeaut, David Brown, Steve Castagnoli
Published: 2021
Summary: Modelling is an extremely useful tool to assist scientists, growers and distributors with planning and execution of strategic objectives. This modelling is aimed at achieving the following: • Predicting critical temperatures of freeze tolerance for flowers of sweet cherry (beginning in September and ending at bloom). • Producing an optimized developmental model of sweet cherry (beginning in September and ending at fruit maturation) that is location and cultivar dependent. This will predict dormancy acquisition, mid-winter hardiness, bloom and, most importantly, harvest time. This uses a growing/degree/hour model employing air temperature data to assist growers in determining when and where to utilize specific management practices to prevent or minimize freeze damage and optimize cherry size / quality at harvest. • Presenting these models on AgWeatherNet [AWN] for all to access. • The freeze tolerance model will be available on AgWeatherNet in Spring 2019. • The combined vernalization/freeze tolerance/bloom (VFB) model to be available end of 2020. • Data collection and analysis will continue through 2019 and 2020 to allow for the creation of a maturation model. Data for numerous cultivars will be included to strengthen this model.
