Effect of high temperatures during blooming on sweet cherry fruit set

The relationship between air temperatures of flowering period and fruit set of ‘0900 Ziraat’, which has an important place in the world sweet cherry trade, was analyzed between the years of 2006 and 2012. First of all, flowering stages were identified. Then, air temperatures of those stages were recorded hourly. Also, fruit set rates of that year were designated. It was determined that air temperatures of flowering period affected fruit set and yearly changing conditions led to yield fluctuations. High temperatures of flowering period caused a reduction in fruit set. It was observed that sweet cherry fruit set decreased by approximately 4% when the average temperature from bud burst to petal fall increased 1°C during the years of experiment. As a result, potential effects of global climate changes on sweet cherry growing should be carefully studied