The affected plants often have smaller fruits, for example with tomatoes, or the fruits are deformed, which often happens with pears and strawberries. Less or no seed is formed at all, or the seed contains less starch, which is a problem with wheat whose seeds we eat.
However, these problems will only come to light when it is already too late to fix anything.
“The problem only becomes visible when the fruits form, at least ten days after the defective reproductive cells form,” said Professor Geelen. “But then the biggest work has already been done by the growers. At that point it is too late for them to save their crops. ”
This phenomenon occurs even in conservatories, where watering can be automatically adjusted to the outside temperature. The cooling effect of the water cannot prevent the temperature from becoming too high at certain crucial moments.
“Last year, Belgian crops suffered from multiple heat waves. Greenhouse tomatoes showed clearly smaller fruits, which meant that they were no longer suitable for sale, ”said Geelen.
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