Its objective is to know the impact that the increase in temperatures expected with climate change will have on crops.

Climate change model forecasts point to an increase in average temperatures during the winter months. These forecasts are being ratified by the observations in the
In recent years, there have been changes in the phenology of different plant species, both cultivated and wild, along the lines of a temporary advancement of development processes. In the case of temperate zone fruit trees, these changes are frequently associated with flowering problems due to insufficient winter cold. During the last centuries, an empirical selection has been carried out by farmers of varieties of fruit crops adapted to the different geographical areas, largely based on the needs of winter cold in order to be able to efficiently exit the resting period. This rapid decrease in winter cold hours may mean that some of the varieties of fruit trees grown do not produce regular harvests and, therefore, it would be advisable to adapt to these new circumstances through varietal renewal. However, immediate renewal can lead to varieties with low cold needs flowering in cold areas too early and may suffer frost.

For this reason, the Institute of Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticulture (IHSM) La Mayora, belonging to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), with the support of the Biodiversity Foundation, has completed the project in which the adaptation of fruit trees to climate change is studied, by comparing species on the coast of Malaga, with little winter cold. and the Ebro valley in Zaragoza, a colder area.

This focused on fruit varieties such as cherry, almond, peach and plum trees from temperate zones and the effect of climate change on them. The objective has been to find out the impact that the increase in temperatures expected with climate change will have on the crops.

For the results, phenology studies of different species of temperate fruit trees have been initiated in two geographical areas with clearly different climates. On the one hand, the coast of Malaga, a frost-free area with very few cold winter hours and, on the other, the Ebro valley in Zaragoza, with a high number of cold hours, although decreasing, and with a high risk of frost, taking advantage of one of the advantages that fruit trees have for this type of study, which is the ease of grafting. which allows the same genotype to be studied under different environmental conditions. In the case of peach, apricot, Japanese plum and cherry trees, two varieties of each species have been planted, one with low winter cold requirements and the other with high winter cold requirements. All of them bloom in the Ebro valley, but some of those that need more winter cold do not do so in Malaga. However, some varieties with low chill requirements manage to flower and produce adequately in the conditions of the Malaga coast, which opens the door to a selection of varieties that can allow varietal renewal in those places where the lack of winter cold threatens the profitability of temperate fruit crops. In addition, 14 varieties of Asimina triloba, a temperate zone fruit tree with an exotic fruit, have been studied, but they have not yet produced fruit.
The aim is to continue with the project since the results indicate that the experimental plots on the coast of Malaga can become an excellent laboratory to be able to carry out the selection of materials more adapted to future climatic conditions as a result of climate change