Frost Protection

Abstract

Frosts affect agricultural production reducing yields and/or product quality. To avoid frost damage the best strategy is to use passive methods which imply a good choice of species, cultivars, planting dates and locations, keeping the soil compacted, wet and smooth, among other options. This requires the knowledge of the frequency distributions of minimum temperatures and the evaluation of the effect of low temperatures on crop performance (i.e., critical damage temperatures). However, the mechanisms of frost damage are rather complex and depend partly on plant hardiness, so predictions of damage are very uncertain. When frost occurs there are active (protective) methods of control that minimize the damage, including the reduction in long wave radiation loss (e.g. plastic covers), direct heating by burning fuel, air mixing (e.g. wind machines), and overhead irrigation for releasing the heat of fusion.