Apple Growers Research Articles

Socioeconomic Conditions of Apple Growers in Marpha, Mustang District

Socio-economic condition of the farmers plays a crucial role in agriculture. Apple is one of the key fruits with potential to generate income and employment in the high mountain districts of western Nepal. The objective of the study has to analyze the socioeconomic status of apple grower in Marpha of Mustang district. A total of 145 households have been sampled out of 235 households by using simple random sampling technique and interviewed with a semi-structured questionnaire to obtain data regarding socioeconomic condition, production, marketing channels, cost and apple price from apple growers as well as secondary sources of data obtained from the District Agriculture Development Office and Temperate Horticulture Development Center, Marpha, Mustang with other published and unpublished documents. The study concluded that socioeconomic conditions of marginal farmers have significantly improved during the last three decades because of apple farming. Seasonal road and poor marketing infrastructure, underprivileged technical knowledge, unavailability of inputs in time, insect pest damage and lack of storage facilities, price disparity and low quantity of production have been noticed major production and marketing problems in the study area.

An assessment on adoption of Bordeaux paste and mixture by apple growers in Jumla district, Nepal

Apple production largely depend upon the orchard management. High hill of Nepal has great potentiality for apple production. Quality products are pre-requisite of today’s market. Quality product is only maintained through proper orchard management by adopting modern technology. This study focused on the determinants of adoption of Bordeaux paste and mixture by apple growers. A census survey was conducted to total 1500 apple growing farmers of Chandannath Municipality (1-10), Jumla in 2021 and interviewed individually with pre-tested structured interview schedules. Chandannath Municipality being the command area of Apple Super-Zone, Prime-minister Agriculture Modernization Project (PMAMP) having potential producing center was selected for study. The collected information was coded and analyzed by using STATA. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and Probit Model of regression. Good explanatory power of probit model was revealed through likelihood ratio chi-square (LR chi2) was statistically significance at 1% level and pseudo R2 value was 0.6618. Variables such as gender, economic status of farmers, training received, experienced of farmers and availability of plant protection equipment were found statistically significant and are positively related to adoption. Others factors such as age of farmers and education status of farmers were positively correlated with adoption whereas factors such as active members of family, access to credit, farm size, family type and distance form extension services were found negatively related with the adoption of Bordeaux paste and mixture and statistically not significant. Providing subsidies to marginalized farmers, provision of training and extension service to rural farmers would increase adoption of Bordeaux paste and mixture for healthy apple production.

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Apple Farmers in Türkiye: Prevalence and Risk Factors’

Objective: The strenuous nature of apple growing can be the cause of a number of physical problems. This study was conducted to identify the prevalence of Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) and ergonomic risks among apple farmers in Turkey.
 Material-Method: Data on WRMSDs were obtained from the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire Extended Version (NMQ-E), while risk factors were collected using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). Prevalences were established by frequency analysis.The relationships between WRMSD of 9 body regions and age, weight, working hours (per day/per week), working experience and RULA score were analysed.
 Results: A total of 51 volunteers participated in the study including 42 males and 9 females. The kness (53.8%) were most commonly reported WRMSDs, followed by the neck (46.2%), lower back (44.2%), and shoulders (38.5%) over a lifetime. The participants were working in a medium (40.4%) and high (42.3%) risk posture according to the RULA assessment. Age, weight, working hours (per day/per week), working experience and RULA were associated with WRMSDs in one or more body regions (p

EVALUAREA UNOR SOIURI DE MĂR DIN COLECȚIA NAȚIONALĂ DE LA SCDP VOINEȘTI

Between 2019 and 2022, observations and determinations were made regarding the blooming phenology, productive potential, harvest maturity and fruit quality for a number of 35 apple varieties from the National Collection located at Research Station for Fruit Growing Voineşti, in order to identify potential parents, useful for the breeding program and sustainable development of apple growing. The national apple collection was released gradually, being permanently supplemented with new varieties of autochthonous and foreign origin. Currently, it has 696 genotypes, with a great variability and diversity of pomological characteristics. The planting distance is 4 m between row and 3 m between trees, the trees are grafted on 'M26' rootstock, with 3 trees / genotype. As a result of this study, a large variability of characters with significant differences was recorded. Example: the beginning of blooming varied from early to late and very late blooming; the average fruit weight (values between 75.25 g and 259.5 g); the dry matter varied from 10.62 to 16.83%; fruit firmness (between 5.66 and 12.63 kgf/cm2); the fruit ripening period (July-August for summer varieties till December-April for winter varieties). The paper recommends some cultivars with positive characteristics to use as parents in breeding work.

Hail netting: an economically competitive IPM alternative to insecticides for Midwest apple production.

Apple orchards are highly managed agricultural ecosystems where growers typically rely on insecticides to minimize the risk of pest-related fruit losses. Apple growers practicing integrated pest management require cost-effective alternatives to conventional insecticides for control of major pests such as codling moth (Cydia pomonella L.) and apple maggot (Rhagoletis pomonella Walsh). Exclusion netting has been shown to effectively control multiple insect pest species, limit fruit damage and reduce the use of insecticides while also conferring consumer and environmental benefits. In this study, partial budgeting was applied to explore the financial efficacy of using a hail netting (DrapeNet®) system as a sustainable pest management strategy for Midwest U.S. apple (Malus x domestica). The cost of the hail netting was compared to a common Midwest insecticide spray regimen for apples using yield and quality data from a field study at two Minnesota apple orchards in 2021-2022. The PB analysis indicated that the netting system was an economically competitive alternative to conventional insecticide applications. The economic results were robust across a range of apple prices and yields suggesting that Minnesota apple growers can benefit economically from the application of hail netting for sustainable pest management.

Advancements in precision agriculture: Edge Impulse-based convolutional neural networks for robust apple disease diagnosis

Apple cultivation is essential to the global economy, but it is vulnerable to diseases that can have severe impacts on crop yields and cause economic losses. Accurate and timely detection of these diseases is crucial for effective prevention and management. This study addresses the limitations of traditional machine learning methods, such as manual feature extraction and high computational costs, by employing convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and transfer learning using the MobileNetV2 architecture for the detection and categorization of four common apple ailments: Apple Scab, Black Rot, Cedar Apple Rust, and Healthy apples. The model produced excellent accuracy of 96.7% on the testing dataset while working with an enriched dataset of 12,000 photos in various dimensions. The model's performance on the validation set was 89.7% with a loss of 0.60. The transfer learning model demonstrates superior on-device performance, with faster inferencing time and lower RAM usage, making it suitable for real-world applications in apple orchards. In conclusion, this study successfully demonstrates the potential of using convolutional neural networks and transfer learning with the MobileNetV2 architecture for apple disease detection. The model's high accuracy and performance make it a promising tool for assisting apple growers in monitoring and managing apple diseases, ultimately leading to more efficient and sustainable apple production.

Impact of ICT adoption on household consumption: evidence from apple growers in China

Impact of ICT adoption on household consumption: evidence from apple growers in China

Fate of Planktonic and Biofilm-Derived Listeria monocytogenes on Unwaxed Apples during Air and Controlled Atmosphere Storage.

Multiple recalls and outbreaks involving Listeria monocytogenes-contaminated apples have been linked to the post-harvest packing environment where this pathogen can persist in biofilms. Therefore, this study assessed L. monocytogenes survival on apples as affected by harvest year, apple cultivar, storage atmosphere, and growth conditions. Unwaxed Gala, Granny Smith, and Honeycrisp apples were dip-inoculated in an 8-strain L. monocytogenes cocktail of planktonic- or biofilm-grown cells (~6.5 log CFU/mL), dried, and then examined for numbers of L. monocytogenes during air or controlled atmosphere (CA) (1.5% O2, 1.5% CO2) storage at 2 °C. After 90 days, air or CA storage yielded similar L. monocytogenes survival (p > 0.05), regardless of harvest year. Populations gradually decreased with L. monocytogenes quantifiable in most samples after 7 months. Apple cultivar significantly impacted L. monocytogenes survival (p < 0.05) during both harvest years with greater reductions (p < 0.05) seen on Gala compared to Granny Smith and Honeycrisp. Biofilm-derived cells survived longer (p < 0.05) on L. monocytogenes-inoculated Gala and Honeycrisp apples compared to cells grown planktonically. These findings should aid in the development of improved L. monocytogenes intervention strategies for apple growers and packers.

Fruitlet Thinning Improves Juice Quality in Seven High-tannin Cider Cultivars

Over 3 years (2016–18), tree productivity, biennial bearing, return bloom, and fruit quality were evaluated for seven high-tannin cider apple (Malus ×domestica Borkh.) cultivars. Five treatments were evaluated on each of the seven cultivars: hand-thinned of all fruit (a zero crop load treatment); hand-thinned to crop densities of three, six, or nine fruit/cm2 trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA); or left unthinned. In this paper, we report on the fruit maturity and juice quality properties that were analyzed for the three nonzero crop load treatments and the unthinned control. The effects of crop load on fruit maturity, as measured by starch pattern index and preharvest drop, were cultivar dependent. Crop density (fruit/cm2 TCSA) had a significant effect on all fruit maturity and juice quality variables, although effects were weakest in the “off” year (2017) for the whole planting when initial fruit set was low. As crop density increased, total poly phenols, titratable acidity, soluble solids, and primary amino nitrogen decreased in the juice of all seven cultivars. A partial budget analysis indicated that the reduced costs of nitrogen supplements due to increased primary amino nitrogen concentration alone would not justify cost of chemical or hand-thinning. By extrapolating the spring flowering density in the fourth year to potential fruit yields at harvest, we found that reducing crop load was projected to increase cumulative total polyphenol yields per tree over the long term. For the cultivars in this experiment, a target crop density of nine fruit/cm2 was found to adequately decrease biennial bearing while also not diminishing juice quality for hard cider production. High-tannin cider apple growers should consider juice quality, particularly tannin production, when making crop load management decisions.

Apple Fruitlet Abscission Prediction. I. Development and Evaluation of Reflectance Spectroscopy Models

Chemical thinning, the most common and cost-effective thinning method, is conducted during early apple fruit development over a 3- to 4-week period using multiple applications of plant growth regulators. It is critical to provide apple growers with tools to assess the efficacy of chemical thinners quickly and accurately because visible responses are not apparent for up to 2 weeks after application. The objective of this study was to build a model to predict apple fruitlet abscission following a chemical thinner application with in situ reflectance data obtained with a portable visible and near infrared (Vis/NIR) spectrophotometer. Developed models were compared with the currently available fruitlet growth model (FGM). ‘Honeycrisp’ fruitlet diameter and reflectance were measured on dates around a chemical thinner application across a 2-year period. After June drop, measured fruitlets were determined to have either persisted or abscised. Random forest, partial least squares regression, and XGBoost classification models were used to predict fruitlet abscission from reflectance data. Each classification model was developed with 2021, 2022, and combined 2021 + 2022 data. For each dataset, 5-fold cross validation was used to assess three model performance metrics: 1) overall accuracy, 2) recall, and 3) specificity. Datasets tested were either unbalanced, majority class down-sampled, or minority class up-sampled with synthetic minority oversampling technique. In both years, the FGM reliably estimated chemical thinner efficacy 9 days after application. Before this time point, the FGM had low prediction accuracy of the minority class in both years—persisting fruitlets in 2021 and abscising fruitlets in 2022. For reflectance spectroscopy, the developed random forest models that were balanced with synthetic minority over-sampling technique were found to be the best combination in predicting chemical thinner efficacy. The combined 2021 + 2022 dataset overall model accuracy ranged from 84% the day before to 93% at 9 days after thinner application. These results show that Vis/NIR is a promising tool to predict chemical thinner efficacy. This technology had high prediction accuracies over a range of fruitlet abscission potential and two growing seasons. Further development and testing of the model over cultivars, chemical thinner timings, and growing regions would facilitate commercialization of the technology.

Adaptation of agriculture to extreme weather events: evidence from apple farmers' organic fertilizer use in China.

Overcoming the challenge of more frequent and extreme weather events holds importance in agricultural production. We take spring frost disasters as a representative extreme weather event to identify how perennial economic crop farmers adjust the quantity of organic fertilizer used in response to extreme weather events and their adjustment mechanism. In this study, we establish a conceptual framework for the adaptation mechanism of apple growers under extreme weather events. This article draws and verifies five hypotheses through on-site investigations of apple growers in Shaanxi Province, China. Empirical evidence shows that farmers increase the quantity of commercial organic fertilizer materials in the year and in the following year when spring frost occurs, indicating that their adaptative behavior can be subdivided into repair and prevention. Mechanism analysis shows that liquidity constraints impact farmers' adaptive behavior. Liquidity constraints limit the ability of farmers to increase the quantity of commercial organic fertilizer materials to adapt to a spring frost disaster. Furthermore, for farmers not constrained by liquidity constraints, household resource endowment conditions still affect their adaptive behavior. Significantly, the household labor force size mainly influences farmers to increase commercial organic fertilizer to adapt to a spring frost disaster. Our findings highlight the differences between the adaptive behavior mechanism of perennial crop farmers and food crop farmers. Moreover, we reconfirm the stimulating effect of organic fertilizer on crop production.

Perceived Constraints in High-Density Apple Cultivation by the Farmers of the Mid-Hills Area of Himachal Pradesh

The study was carried out in area of Kandaghat and Solan blocks of Himachal Pradesh, India from November 2021 to April 2022 to study the constraints in high-density apple cultivation by the farmers of the mid-hills area of Himachal Pradesh, India. The present study fully relied on the primary data through a properly structured schedule for the production year 2021–2022, with a sample size of 60 farmers involved in high-density apple plantations. Garret’s ranking technique was used to find constraints perceived by the high-density apple cultivators. The objective of the research was to identify the prevailing problems of the high-density apple sector in the selected area. In this study the major problems faced by the high-density apple growers in production were the high cost of high-density apple plants, followed by identifying the disease, costly labor, and lack of technical guidance. Major marketing-related constraints expressed in the marketing of high-density apples were the problem of fluctuation of price, the high price of transportation, distant market, and high commission charges, further the data revealed that the major environmental and other related constraints were that the grading process and certification process seemed to be costly, problems from hailstorms were also found. The study also highlighted the need of proper marketing facilities as marketing helps in improving the living standard and eliminate the constraints in product and services.

Assessment of Information Needs of Apple Growers in District Baramulla of Jammu and Kashmir (UT), India

Nowadays it is a prerequisite to know the information needs of farmers and to provide information according to their needs. Along with land, labour and capital, Information is perceived as a critical factor of production in farming. Information regarding various aspects of crop production and protection can empower farmers to mitigate losses. Apple among various horticultural crops holds great promise for the economy and livelihood of farmers living in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. The area under apple cultivation has increased but the production and productivity have not increased to a satisfactory level. There is an urgent need to identify the information needs of farmers. The present study was undertaken to find out the information needs of apple growers in the northern district (Baramulla) of J &amp; K (UT) having the maximum area and production of apple fruit in the UT. The study adopted a descriptive research design and the sample size of 300 apple growers was selected through a proportionate random sampling method from purposively selected 15 horticultural zones of district Baramulla, having maximum area and production of apple fruit in the district. Data was collected personally by the researcher through a well-structured interview schedule. The most prioritized areas of information needs expressed by the apple growers were disease management, training/pruning, govt. schemes and subsidies, innovative techniques (HDP) and pest management. The overall information needs behaviour of apple growers was medium (45.00%) with mean information needs of 62.48. Explanatory variables land holding, source of information and scientific orientation have a positive and significant relationship with the information needs of apple growers. A pertinent information dissemination strategy can be developed on the basis of their information needs behaviour. The study will act as an eye-opener for policy makers to formulate relevant policies and design programmes to enhance the production and productivity of apple.

Effects of Aging on Labor-Intensive Crop Production from the Perspectives of Landform and Life Cycle Labor Supply: Evidence from Chinese Apple Growers

The aging of the agricultural labor force is an irreversible trend that has become an important issue in China’s economic transformation. Previous studies on the effects of an aging population in developing countries on agriculture mainly focused on food crops, and the conclusions were mixed. Using data for apple growers in Shaanxi Province, China, we used ordinary least squares (OLS), stochastic frontier production function (SFA), and truncated regression to investigate how rural aging affects apple production under different landform conditions. We provided evidence that (i) aging leads apple growers to use hired labor to replace family labor in the flatlands, but not in mountainous and hilly areas, due to landform constraints on the factor substitution; (ii) aging has no significant impact on mechanical inputs in either the plains or the mountains, indicating that machinery cannot effectively replace the labor force; (iii) limited by a shortage of labor quantity and quality, apple growers respond to aging by reducing agricultural inputs in mountainous and hilly areas; (iv) changes in input structure cause aging to have little influence on yield and technical efficiency in flatlands, while aging significantly reduces yield in mountainous and hilly areas; (v) there is a nonlinear relationship between aging and technical efficiency and yield; and (vi) because the overall mechanization level of China’s apple industry is low, mechanical substitution for labor is not common in apple production.

Perceptions of pesticide use and health risks among apple growers in Kashmir Himalaya

AbstractBackgroundUnderstanding the patterns of pesticide use is important in protecting the environment and farmer's health for improvement of sustainability in chemical pest control. Studies on the knowledge and awareness of pesticides by farmers are often incomplete. Therefore, our study aimed at investigating the awareness and knowledge of pesticides from a detailed survey of 394 apple growers in the Kashmir Himalaya.ResultsThe study revealed that farmers have inadequate knowledge and awareness about pesticides. About 47.2% of the farmers are choosing pesticides based on the efficiency of the pest/pathogen control, 38.1% are choosing pesticides based on the cost of the product, and 14.7% of the farmers are choosing pesticides based on ease of availability. Most of the farmers rated the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as not important. The farmers believed that the use of pesticides is the only way of controlling the pest outbreaks that ultimately led to reckless spraying of pesticides. Our results revealed that farmers are spraying pesticides without protective gears and inappropriate dumping of pesticides and their containers, risking the health of humans and the environment. Almost 96% of the farmers feel burning and irritation to the eyes and skin, headache, and vomiting due to pesticide spraying. The results of this research work accentuate the requirement to educate apple growers about the adequate and safe use of pesticides to avoid risks to public and environmental health.ConclusionThe study concludes that farmers are significantly impacted by the use of pesticides. Ineffective actions of pesticide dealers, government regulations, and illiteracy of farmers are the main causes of the reckless use of pesticides. Therefore, special attention should be paid towards sustainable approaches of pesticide spraying and use of safety gears like personal protective equipment, for protection of human and environmental health.

Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Income of Apple Growers in Kashmir: An Empirical Analysis

Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Income of Apple Growers in Kashmir: An Empirical Analysis

Preventive Measures and Hygiene Habits of Apple Producers in the Prespa Region.

Agriculture is one of the most dangerous industries, both for the employees in that sector and for their families and the environment. The use of personal protective preventive measures and the maintenance of good hygienic practices are the basis for healthy production and healthy workers. The safety and hygiene of food products should be present during all stages of production. The study aimed to assess the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by apple growers during agricultural procedures as well as the hygiene habits of agricultural workers. A cross-sectional study was conducted including 101 farmers from the Prespa region in the Republic of North Macedonia by using a questionnaire with 34 questions. The questions were formulated in order to give us an insight into the protective preventive measures undertaken at work by apple producers and their hygiene. The study included 101 apple growers from the Prespa region. Wearing a completely tidy special PPE when using pesticides was registered in 78.2% of farmers, and when lawn mowing in 42.5%. 16% of the surveyed farmers during agricultural activities did not always wash their hands after going to the toilet, and almost 30% of them did not use soap when washing their hands. There is inadequate hygiene practice/personal hygiene during agricultural activities. In addition, the proper use of PPE is not at a satisfactory level and poses a risk to the health of apple growers.

Research to Fungicide Sensitivity of Colletotrichum spp. Isolated from Apple Fruits in Cheongsong, Korea

Apple grower in the Cheongsong region, Korea has reported the increased loss of apple yield due to severe bitter rot incidence. We noticed that this indience is because the &lt;i&gt;Colletotrichum&lt;/i&gt; population has developed resistance to commonly used fungicides. We isolated 39 &lt;i&gt;Colletotrichum&lt;/i&gt; isolates from 13 orchards in Cheongsong, and all the isolated &lt;i&gt;Colletotrichum&lt;/i&gt; species were identified as &lt;i&gt;C. siamense&lt;/i&gt; or &lt;i&gt;C. fructicola&lt;/i&gt;. These 39 strains were tested for mycelial growth and conidial germination against 12 fungicides. trifloxystrobin (30–55% in recommended concentrations) was shown lower inhibitory effect on mycelial growth. However, the inhibition of conidial germination was shown higher than mycelial growth (62–100%). Kresoxim-methyl was shown lower inhibitory effect on mycelial growth (29–55%). conidial germination inhibitory effect was shown 51% to 96%. dithianon was shown diversity response to inhibition of mycelial growth (43–100%). tebuconazole was shown high inhibitory effect on mycelial growth (84–100%) and conidial germination inhibitory effect was shown to be 64 to 100%. metconazole has been found to display with high inhibitory effect on mycelial growth (79–100%) and conidial germination (70–80%). fluazinam was shown to possess high inhibitory effect on mycelial growth (87–100%) and conidial germination (94–100%). This study provides basic information for the effective management of apple bitter rot.

A Study on Post-harvest Losses of Royal Delicious Apple in Different Marketing Channels at Seraj Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India

The present study was conducted in the year 2022-23, to analyse the post-harvest losses occurred in different marketing channels of “Royal delicious” variety of apple. The data were collected by using survey method, with the help of questionnaire by interviewing the respondents personally. A sample of 80 apple growers (54 marginal, 17 small and 9 semi medium farmers) was taken, and the existing marketing channels (Channel I,II,III) were identified. Channel I (Producer – Primary market retailer – Consumer), Channel II (Producer – Wholesaler – Secondary market retailer – Consumer) and Channel III (Producer – Pre-harvest contractor – Wholesaler – Secondary market retailer – Consumer). Out of total 145 market functionaries a sample of 20% i.e. 30 market functionaries were selected randomly. It was revealed that, on an average a total of 12.4% of produce was lost per quintal of produce i.e. 12.4 kg/quintal, with Channel III having highest average post-harvest losses 17.4% of produce lost per quintal of produce. In Channel II the average post-harvest losses were found 14.05% loss per quintal of produce. And the Channel I had the minimum post-harvest losses of just 5.75% loss per quintal of produce. In economic terms, average loss of Rs. 744/quintal was observed at the price of Rs. 60/kg. It was concluded that marketing channel III was having highest losses because of more middlemen in the channel and by looking into the channel, at wholesaler level there were having the highest loss. These losses can be minimized by having more cold storage facilities, and quick dispose of produce from producer to consumer.

Climate Potential for Apple Growing in Norway—Part 1: Zoning of Areas with Heat Conditions Favorable for Apple Growing under Observed Climate Change

Agricultural production is already, and obviously, affected by climate change. Adapting to climate change includes reducing future risks to ensure yield quality and quantity and considers seizing any potential opportunities induced by climate change. In higher latitude areas, such as Norway, cold climate limits the cultivation of fruits. An increase in temperature offers more favorable conditions for fruit production. In this study, using available phenological observations (full blooming) and harvest dates, and meteorological data from the experimental orchard of NIBIO Ullensvang, the minimum heat requirements for growing different apple varieties are determined. Those criteria are used for zoning of the areas with heat favorable conditions for apple growing. Data on six varieties were used, with lower and higher requirements for heat for fruit development (Discovery, Gravenstein, Summerred, Aroma, Rubinstep, and Elstar). High resolution daily temperature data were generated and used for zoning of the areas with heat favorable conditions for apple growing within the selected domain, which includes Western Norway, Southern Norway, Eastern Norway, and the western part of Trøndelag, Mid-Norway. Dynamics of the change in such surfaces was assessed for the period of 1961–2020. The total surface with favorable heat conditions for growing the varieties with lesser requirement for heat increased three times during this period. The growing of more heat-demanding varieties increased from near zero to about 2.5% of the studied land surface. In the period of 2011–2020, surface area with favorable heat conditions for apple growing was almost 27,000 km2, and a surface area of about 4600 km2 can sustain growing of more heat-demanding varieties. The presented results show the increasing potential of the climate of Norway for apple cultivation and highlight the importance of implementation of fruit production planned according to climate change trends, including the assessment of potential risks from climate hazards. However, the methodology for determining heat requirements can be improved by using phenological ripening dates if available, rather than harvest dates which are impacted by human decision. Zoning of areas with the potential of sustainable apple growing requires the use of future climate change assessments and information on land-related features.