Climate change is resulting in winters becoming increasingly milder and the coldest periods only occurring later in winter months in South Africa’s litchi-producing regions, the frost-free parts of Mpumalanga and Limpopo and to a lesser extent KwaZulu-Natal.
As a consequence, the “cold” spell that litchi farmers seek for good flower bud development no longer coincides with the right growth period in the tree.
Dr Regina Cronjé, who recently completed her doctorate on litchis at Stellenbosch University, explained that three-quarters of the litchi plantings in South Africa consisted of the Mauritius cultivar, which needed average temperatures below 20°C for optimal flowering and bud development. With the changing climate, however, shoot growth increased before flowering, resulting in flower formation becoming weaker, which in turn led to poorer fruit formation and, in effect, a smaller harvest.
This story is from the April 28, 2023 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
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This story is from the April 28, 2023 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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