A model estimating the level of floral transition in olive trees exposed to warm periods during winter.

Rising winter temperatures jeopardize the fruit yield of trees that require a prolonged and sufficiently cold winter to flower. Predicting the exact risk to different crop varieties is the first step in mitigating the harmful effects of climate change. This work focused on olive (Olea europaea) - a traditional crop in the Mediterranean basin whose flowering depends on the sufficiency of cold periods and the lack of warm ones during the preceding winter.

Studying Parameters Affecting Accumulation of Chilling Units Required for Olive Winter Flower Induction.

With global warming, mean winter temperatures are predicted to increase. Therefore, understanding how warmer winters will affect the levels of olive flower induction is essential for predicting the future sustainability of olive oil production under different climactic scenarios. Here, we studied the effect of fruit load, forced drought in winter, and different winter temperature regimes on olive flower induction using several cultivars.

Determining Reproductive Parameters, which Contribute to Variation in Yield of Olive Trees from Different Cultivars, Irrigation Regimes, Age and Location.

Olive ( L.) trees can reach a very old age and still bear fruit. Although traditional groves are planted at low density and are rainfed, many newer groves are planted at higher densities and irrigated.