Pre-trial
Description: This is a sub-project within our investigation of fruit removal and anticipating harvest in almonds. This investigation could provide basic knowledge of how almond orchards in the San Joaquin Valley are developing under changing climatic conditions and the effects of variable light and temperature conditions. Rising temperatures and erratic weather patterns caused by climate change result in significant variations in fruit phenology, which can advance or delay fruit ripening. This is problematic because it affects almond production stability, as harvest aims to remove all the nuts from the tree to maximize returns.
We aim to investigate the microclimatic effects of light and temperature on almond nut ripening within the canopy. We hypothesize that temperature and light-intensity distribution within the canopy will accelerate almond development only under conditions that do not limit the plant's resources.
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