Problems and solutions in using of and coping with weather phenomena in need of tactical decision making and challenges remaining for the use of science to contribute to problem analyses and designing viable solutions in this context: Non-forest trees

Abstract

Fruit and vine growing is often an open sky activity, almost fully exposed to the variability of weather which represents a most important driving factor for final production in terms of quantity and quality. This fact enlightens the importance of a quantitative evaluation of past, present and future behaviour of meteorological variables for tactical choices in fruit culture and viticulture, referred to aspects like (i) cultural measures such as pruning, life removal and replanting, soil works, turf management, etc., (ii) water and nutrients management, (iii) phytosanitary management and (iv) planning of harvest activities and post-harvest activities. Forecasted data can for example be important to plan harvest and post harvest activities, such as for industries for packaging and transformation of fruits or wine industries, that need information to schedule reception activities. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.