Potential impacts of rising global temperatures on Australia's pome fruit industry and adaptation strategies

Temperature has a key influence on plant growth. Rising temperatures associated with the enhanced greenhouse effect are likely to have important impacts on the plants that humans grow for food. This review examines some of the implications of elevated temperature on pome fruit in Australia, where the pome fruit industry is a valuable contributor to economic and social stability in rural regions. Many pome fruit growing regions are likely to become too hot in the future for viable production from existing tree varieties and there are few cooler regions available to establish new orchards. Nonetheless, it is anticipated that economically sustainable production in existing locations could be maintained at least in the short term by deploying adaptive strategies such as on‐farm practices that help cool and protect fruit crops. Under predicted climate change scenarios the need for adaptation is clear if the Australian pome fruit industry is to survive.