Effect of climate change on the quality of Citrus fruit produced in South Africa

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Ngcebo Parton Khumalo* Wandile Ngcamphalala

Abstract

Climate change is an observed reality with a significant impact globally. South Africa is not immune to this phenomenon. Like the rest of the world, South Africa experiences rise in mean air temperature and changes in rainfall trends. Since plant systems are influenced by weather, it is expected that climate change will have an effect on the production and quality of fruit. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of climate change on the quality of citrus fruit produced in South Africa. In conducting the study, historical fruit quality data was collected from packhouses in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces of South Africa over a period of 12 and 8 years respectively. Trend analysis was done on the data to determine whether there is a trend that can be observed over the period of data collection. The total soluble solids of fruit showed a marginal increase over the period of observation. Titratable acidity showed a marginal decrease. The incidence of sunburn on fruit seemed to increase over time. Other disorders like decay, creasing and oleocellosis did not show a definite trend of increasing or decreasing over time. Rind disorders seemed to decrease during the period of observation. This report discusses how the observed trends were influenced by changes in rainfall and temperature over the period of observation. It is then concluded that in this case study, the impact of climate change was not very profound and it had both negative and positive effects. The current results point towards a bleak future for citrus producers. To remain profitable, it may be necessary for producers to invest in climate change adaptation technologies.


Key words: Climate change, citrus fruit, fruit quality, oleocellosis, titratable acidity