Cheongsong Apples Prepare for Climate Crisis Starting with Pollen Production

Production of Artificial Pollination Pollen at Apple Orchard Complex
Expected to Stabilize Fruit Setting and Ease Labor Burden for Farmers

Cheongsong County in North Gyeongsang Province has begun full-scale production of artificial pollination pollen to address the uncertainties of fruit cultivation caused by climate change.

Cheongsong County announced that, starting from April 16, it had carried out apple blossom harvesting for a week in the Cheongun-ri apple orchard area of Cheongsong-eup to produce pollen for artificial pollination.

The Cheongsong County Agricultural Technology Center operates the apple orchard area to respond to increasingly frequent abnormal weather events such as low temperatures during the flowering period and to help fruit growers achieve stable fruit setting. Currently, the center manages an orchard of approximately 2.5 hectares, where it collects apple blossoms and produces and distributes around 5 kilograms of high-quality pollen annually.

The pollen bank within the Agricultural Technology Center also plays a key role in supporting local farmers. Equipped with a dedicated processing room and pollen collection equipment, the center not only supplies pollen produced directly by the county but also provides a service to process flowers individually brought in by farmers into pollen, thereby easing the labor burden on growers.

Recently, cases where stable fruit setting cannot be expected through natural pollination alone have increased due to a combination of factors such as low temperatures during the flowering period, rainfall, and reduced bee activity caused by climate change. As a result, the technology for securing high-quality pollen in a timely manner for artificial pollination has emerged as a crucial factor in ensuring the production stability and competitive quality of Cheongsong apples.

A representative from the Cheongsong County Agricultural Technology Center stated, "Due to climate change, natural pollination is becoming increasingly difficult, which makes artificial pollination more important than ever. We will actively utilize the apple orchard area to supply excellent pollen at the right time and help establish a stable production base for apples."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.