Dealing with rising temperatures may be a conundrum for fruit growers confronting ­climate change, but in Australia it’s been ­complicated by widespread drought since 2003. Two years ago, participants in the annual International Fruit Tree Association conference and tour heard how competition for water rights, a relatively new phenomenon here in North America, pitted ranchers against fruit growers in some areas. With the cost of water then running at Au.$800 to Au.$950 (U.S.$722 to U.S.$858) a megagallon, and actual allocations limited to two months’ worth, growers were forced to take a close look at their use and management of water. […]