A topical spray to enhance plant resistance to cold injury and mortality

Abstract

A novel topical spray was developed to increase resistance to both cold damage and cold mortality in plant foliage, flowers, and fruits. In environmental chamber experiments, application of the spray to monocot and dicot foliage lowered the environmental temperatures associated with the first onset of cold injury and with cold mortality from 2.2 to 9.4°F, compared with controls sprayed with tap water, over an effective temperature range (depending on species) of ≈0 to 32°F. The threshold temperature for flower mortality was lowered from 2.2 to 3.2°F depending on species. Mature fruit suffered significantly less freeze damage when pretreated with the spray formulation. The spray is composed of ingredients that are non-toxic to plants, humans, and other animals. The patent-pending formulation has been commercialized under the trade name FreezePruf.