In the Spanish province of Lleida, pear trees of the Conference and Williams varieties are experiencing reduced flowering. According to Pere Roqué, from ASAJA Lleida, this is primarily due to last summer's high temperatures, which, together with the drought, has caused this physiological response in the trees.
"The most affected trees seem to be those that are at least 14-15 years old, in which 40 to 60% of the flowers may have been lost, although at this time there isn't enough data to offer accurate figures."
"In younger trees, the percentage of flowers that have not bloomed is not as high. We can assume there will be a smaller harvest due to this, but it would be hard to estimate a percentage right now, and we prefer to be cautious, because we do not want to unnecessarily alarm the markets."
Moreover, there is the risk of conveying the message that this is a generalized situation, says Pere. "The problem has been detected in Lleida, but further analysis is needed in other producing areas, such as Rincón de Soto or the regions of Aragon. So, although losses will be recorded, they will represent just a percentage of the national harvest."
"On the positive side, temperatures have returned to the levels we should have at this time of the year, with 13-14 degrees Celsius during the day, after weeks in which we reached 26 degrees. It is also raining, and although rains aren't ideal during the flowering, water is always welcome and will help ensure the harvest of whatever fruit the trees produce."
For more information:
ASAJA Lleida
C/ Enric Pubill 18, altell 1a, Lleida, Spain
Tel.: +34 973 23 43 26