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Photo: ATB

Fruit trees under climate stress

ATB scientist Manuela Zude-Sasse in the rbb studio, August 3, 2022

video on rbb24 (in German)

Investigation on fruit trees in the ATB Fieldlab for Digital Agriculture (Maruardt). Use of LiDAR sensors in the orchard (Photo: ATB).

Investigation on fruit trees in the ATB Fieldlab for Digital Agriculture (Maruardt). Use of LiDAR sensors in the orchard (Photo: ATB).

The increase in global radiation, high temperatures and water shortages as a result of climate change are causing enormous stress for fruit trees. On rbb24 'Brandenburg aktuell', ATB scientist Manuela Zude-Sasse explains how this affects fruit quality and how fruit producers could counteract it in the future.

Manuela Zude-Sasse is currently researching on this topic in the SHEET project (Sunburn and HEat prediction in canopies for Evolving a warning Tech solution). At the ATB research site in Marquardt, she is investigating, among other things, the effects of changing environmental conditions on the fruits. A particular focus of her research is on the efficacy of physical protection measures with shielding effects and the possibility of using the shape of the tree to influence the heat distribution and shading of fruit inside the tree canopy.
The project is also developing an app that will provide farmers with a warning message and information on the risk of damage in the future.