Why Orange was selected
Orange was selected because altitude is central to the region's climate identity and because a whole-GI average is likely to conceal a substantial internal gradient. Treating the GI and the analytical altitude bands within the same SILO workflow provides a direct test of the limits of regional averaging.
Whole-region and altitude-band interpretation
Orange is treated in two ways in this report. First, Orange is reported as a whole GI region. Second, Orange is broken into analytical altitude bands to show how elevation changes GDD, HP-GDD and climate-pressure interpretation within the same region.
The altitude bands are not official GI regions. They are pseudo-regions used to test whether a single regional average hides important internal variation. This is particularly important for Orange because altitude is a central part of its climate identity.
FIGURE 1
Orange GI and altitude bands - annual GDD value and climate class
Loading seasons…
FIGURE 2
Orange whole region and altitude bands - 50-year GDD
Raw GDD for each unit, ordered low to high altitude. Dashed lines show each unit's linear trend; toggle series to isolate bands.
FIGURE 3
Orange whole region and altitude bands - 50-year HP-GDD
Annual HP-GDD for the same six units. Dashed lines show each unit's linear trend across the 50 seasons.
CURRENT DECADE
Current-decade altitude comparison
2016-17 to 2025-26, from the published current-decade records.
Loading…
INTERPRETATION
The lower Orange bands retain higher current-decade GDD and HP-GDD, while the higher bands retain cooler-climate potential but carry stronger frost and late-season pressure constraints. This supports treating Orange as internally variable rather than relying only on a single regional average.
SCREENING
Maturity-anchor screen
The chapter screens each Orange unit against published variety maturity bands, comparing where Raw GDD and HP-GDD fall relative to each variety's screening range. This is a screening aid, not a planting recommendation.
Interactive variety table coming with the Variety Explorer.