Peach trees on climate watchlist

EAGLE-EYED nature lovers need to branch out if they want to help with an academic project.

The University of Reading has launched the country’s largest-ever fruit tree monitoring study which will include the observation of peach and apricot tree flowering dates for the first time.

Rising temperatures caused by global warming mean peaches and apricots can grow in the UK climate, which means data can be recorded to observe when these trees begin to flower.

Understanding how climate impacts fruit tree blossom is the goal of the University of Reading research team behind FruitWatch.

Scientists are appealing for help to work out if rising temperatures are making fruit trees flower earlier in the year and how this might vary across different parts of the UK

PhD researcher Chris Wyver, of the University of Reading, is running the project.

“FruitWatch is back for a third year in 2024 and it’s bigger than ever before,” he said.

“This year, we are asking people to monitor four new fruit trees so we can understand how climate change is interfering with the flowering dates of various trees.

“Fruit trees are highly dependent on insect pollination to produce fruit.

“If rising temperatures are making fruit trees flower earlier, this could confuse bees and negatively impact pollination. Ultimately, this could mean less fruit is produced and supermarkets hike up the prices of apples and pears.”

There were 6,000 submissions in the first year of the programme and early analysis of the first year of results suggests flowering dates are highly sensitive to climate change.

Trends in blossom dates across the United Kingdom from 2022 and 2023 are set to be revealed in a soon-to-be-published study.

To get involved, citizen scientists are being asked to make a note of when a particular fruit tree in their garden, their park, or their allotment comes into bloom.

Participants are also asked to take a photo of the tree to improve the reliability of the data.

These photos can also be shared on social media as part of the National Trust’s #BlossomWatch campaign.

■ For more details, log on to: fruitwatch.org