Chilling effect: How warmer winters could ruin fruit

Grist: Think of your favorite fruits and you might think of the warm climates they tend to thrive in. Florida oranges, Texas grapefruit, California strawberries - and grapes, figs, pears, and apricots. But here`s the funny thing: Most fruit trees have to chill. Literally. Unless they're tropical, trees have what are called "chilling requirements": They need winter temperatures to drop to within a certain range - usually just above freezing - and remain there for a set period of time. This allows the...

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