Assessment of Chilling Requirement and Threshold Temperature of a Low Chill Pear (Pyrus communis L.) Germplasm in the Mediterranean Area

In temperate climates, bud break and shoot flower emission of deciduous fruit tree species are regulated by precise chilling heating requirements. To investigate this aspect, sixty-one accessions European pear (Pyrus communis L.) collected in Sicily were phenotyped for three consecutive years harvest date, sprouting blooming to determine both the requirements threshold temperature using Chill Days model. The whole germplasm collection was grown two different experimental fields located at 10 850 m above sea level representing Mediterranean-type climates which is commonly cultivated. Results revealed a mean 6.70 8.10 °C fields, respectively, with requirement ranging from ?103 ?120 days. Through approach, novel insights gained on differences early flowering cultivars overcome dormancy. Furthermore, better dissect between accessions, rate six assessed excised twigs stored 4 ± 0.1 300 900 h followed period 25 varying seven twenty-eight experiments highlighted that Sicilian characterized low compared other germplasm, making local valuable candidates be used selecting cultivars, coupling their traits agronomical interest.