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Afruit tree is atree which bearsfruit that is consumed or used by animals and humans. All trees that areflowering plants produce fruit, which are the ripenedovaries offlowers containing one or moreseeds. Inhorticultural usage, the term "fruit tree" is limited to those that provide fruit for human food. Types of fruits are described and defined elsewhere (seeFruit), but would include "fruit" in a culinary sense, as well as somenut-bearing trees, such aswalnuts.[1]
The scientific study and the cultivation of fruits is calledpomology, which divides fruits into groups based on plantmorphology andanatomy. Some of those groups arepome fruits, which include apples and pears, andstone fruits, which include peaches/nectarines, almonds,apricots, plums and cherries.[2]
Fruit trees can withstand the variability of rainfall better thanannual crops due to the deep root systems and theperennial growth habit.[3]
Climate change is significantly impacting fruit trees, with effects varying depending on the geographical region and type of fruit tree. The annual temperature in Japan, for example, has risen at a rate of 0.124 °C per decade from 1898 to 2019, influencing fruit tree flowering times and potentially leading to a physiological disorder known as "flowering disorder" inJapanese pear, which may result from abnormal flowering or dormancy or both.[4] In Australia, climate change is predicted to prompt a major shift in the fruit farming industry by 2030, affecting the winter chill period necessary for fruit production.[5]
In addition, climate change has caused challenges like early spring and late frosts, flooding, drought, and extreme heat, all of which effect fruit trees. Severe droughts and flooding affect the trees' growth, making them more susceptible to pests and diseases. Extreme heat can damage growing fruit directly on the tree.[6]
This situation is exacerbated by global trends towards reduced organic matter in soil, necessitating innovative water conservation and management strategies to ensure crop yield and quality.[7]
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