Effect of a temperature rise on peach growth and development : Consequences on fruit quality ; Etude des effets d’une élévation de température sur la croissance et le développement du pêcher : conséquences sur la qualité des fruits

The latest IPCC report clearly confirms the climate projections for increasing temperaturesand their variability at the end of the 21st century. The effects of climate changes in fruit yield andquality have been studied in a project funded by INRA (project CAQ40, Metaprogramme ACCAF).Experiments carried out on potted peaches placed in different climates (control, +2 ° C and + 5 ° C),allowed the identification of the processes (phenology, development, growth, photosynthesis,metabolism) most sensitive to rising temperatures and their consequences on the development andcomposition of fruits and the sustainability of production.Higher temperature has increased the demand for water, leading to a decrease in the waterpotential of the trees, which may have led to a concentration of the compounds of interest in thefruit. The reduction of leaf photosynthesis under high temperature conditions was related to theinhibition of photosynthesis by high temperatures and stomatal control related to water status.After flowering, the rise in temperature accelerates the vegetative growth, triggering a more rapidestablishment of leaf area. This early vegetative growth resulted in: (i) very rapid dynamics ofelongation of the axes in long shoot (ii) a more pronounced apical dominance, (iii) a decrease in theaxillary axial branching. In contrast the later heat treatment had an adverse effect on the initiationand differentiation of floral buds reducing the production potential in the following year.In addition, the increase in temperature after flowering resulted in a marked shortening ofthe fruit growth period, with an expected harvest date almost 3 weeks earlier. This shortening offruit growth duration has led to a decrease in the flow of carbon entering the fruit, penalizing itsgrowth and quality. The very different climates between the two experimental years resulted in ahigh variability in fruit composition between the two years of experimentation. In 2014, increasedtemperature during the early stage of fruit development or ...