Extreme temperature events—both heat and cold—have resulted in recent annual insurable losses exceeding $80 million for the U.S. apple and pear industry. These extreme temperature events are forecast to become more frequent. Our knowledge of apple and pear responses to hot and cold temperature extremes is based off older varieties and is insufficient to assess current and future risks for newer varieties.

Our group is made up of 22 scientists from six states (WA, OR, MI, NY, PA, ME) and seven institutions (WSU, OSU, Michigan, Cornell, Penn State, U Maine, and USDA-ARS). We are working to better understand the physiological responses of apple and pear trees to extreme temperatures and seeking to identify the genetic control of those responses, to help growers choose the best varieties to grow. We will also model historical and future risk of extreme temperature events and assess their economic impacts on apple and pear production, which can then inform capital investment decisions and regional cultivar choices. Ultimately, this research will help us refine (or develop new) strategies that continue to help growers limit losses from extreme temperatures.

You can help us achieve this goal. Please complete this voluntary, anonymous survey to help us understand how heat and cold are affecting your orchards and the strategies you use to minimize the resulting losses. Your responses will inform our research and extension activities, so that the tools we develop to assess the risk of losses to extreme temperatures and to mitigate these losses help sustain the U.S. as a leader in apple and pear production in light of the temperature extremes that we will increasingly face in the future.

SPARC Survey

Take the survey in English: 

Survey link:https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eyfLFPQZ3dHutUi

SPARC encuesta

Complete la encuesta en español: 

Enlace a la encuesta: https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/...