Extreme heat and dry conditions have caused sunburn-like damage to persimmons and apples in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province [1].
This phenomenon threatens the productivity of one of South Korea's primary persimmon production regions. As temperatures soar, the physical quality of the fruit degrades, potentially impacting marketability and farmer livelihoods.
The damage, described as a "sunburn phenomenon," manifests as yellowing or black scorching on the surface of the fruit [1]. Reporter Lim Hyung-jun said the primary cause is the recent weather, characterized by intense sunlight without a single drop of rain [1].
During the heat wave in late July and early August, temperatures in the region exceeded 40C [1]. This extreme heat, combined with insufficient irrigation, created severe water stress for the trees, leading to the surface burns [1].
Local fruit farmer Ahn Ui-geun said the conditions this year appear more severe than the previous year [1]. To combat the water stress, some farmers have been forced to drastically increase their irrigation schedules. In some cases, watering frequency has shifted from once every 10 days to once every three to five days [1].
The lack of precipitation has left the orchards vulnerable. Because the trees cannot absorb enough water to cool the fruit surfaces, the intense solar radiation effectively burns the skin of the persimmons and apples [1].
“The surface of the sweet persimmons is turning yellow or scorching black.”
The emergence of fruit sunburn in South Korea's key agricultural zones highlights the increasing vulnerability of traditional crops to extreme thermal events. As heat waves push temperatures beyond 40C, standard irrigation cycles are becoming insufficient, forcing farmers to adopt more labor-intensive water management strategies to prevent total crop loss.
