Basics of frost and freeze protection for horticultural crops

Abstract

Basic meteorology as it applies to frost-freeze events and a discussion of the methods of frost protection are included in this article. The presentation of basic meteorology includes descriptions of heat transfer, energy exchange, inversion, frost, freeze, microclimate, air versus crop temperature, and forecasts and warnings in the context of how each of these is involved in frost-freeze events. The second part of the paper describes the major methods of frost protection for commercial crops. The methods included are site selection, irrigation (overhead, undercanopy, man-made fog, flooding), wind machines, heaters, covers, and sprayable materials.