Frost

Take a quick 5 question quiz

What are the two key mechanisms involved in developing frosts?
What are inversions?
Why do inversions form?
How are inversions measured?
How can inversions be managed?
How is an advection frost different from a radiation frost?

What daily and seasonal patterns in climate affect frost risk?
Why is New Zealand such a moderate climate?
What is the effect of land elevation on air temperature?
Why is wind valuable for mitigating frost risk?
Will climate change reduce long term frost risk at my site?

What features of a site will guide you on likely level of frost risk at a new property ?
Is there robust, quantitative information that can guide your selection ?

How can you increase air movement to reduce frost risk?
Why is ground cover management critical to avoiding frosts?
What changes to my crop canopy could make a difference to frost risk?

What resources can help me to identify the likelihood of a frost ?
How do I gather good data to calibrate my orchard against regional weather forecasts ?
How can I forecast overnight low temperatures on my property ?

Ice crystals are the principal cause of frost injury
Sensitivity to frost varies between cultivars, plant parts, and stages of development
Symptoms of frost damage are often masked

How do wind machines and helicopters provide frost protection?
What kind of frost can air mixing protect against?
How much temperature rise can be expected from air mixing?
What constraints are there to using wind machines and helicopters?

Why is continuous water sprinkling such a reliable method of active protection against radiation frosts?
What level of protection is possible using overhead sprinkler irrigation?
How is performance of an overhead sprinkler irrigation system maximised?
What problems will need to be managed?

How much frost protection will under-canopy sprinkler irrigation achieve?
How does under-canopy sprinkler irrigation protect against frost?
In what situations is under-canopy sprinkler irrigation effective?
What are the risks of using under-canopy sprinklers for frost protection?

How do heaters achieve frost protection ?
What situations are they typically used in ?
How efficient are heaters for frost protection ?

Which active frost protection methods are known to be reliable ?
What are the pros and cons of each ?