2023-10-30 10:51:38
Almost every year fruit growers and vine growers complain about being destroyed by spring frosts and harvest frosts. This was also the case this year in Sliven district.
There are lasting and innovative solutions to this huge problem, a right now there is also an opportunity for farmers to receive investment support against spring frosts and colds. From the end of September until December 20, they can apply for funding under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, which covers 50% of the costs. And the costs can be from BGN 30,000 to BGN 1 million.
In order for farmers to make the right choice of a frost protection agent, they must have sufficient information about the relief, climate, varieties, used substrates and some specific data for the cultivated crops such as critical temperatures, Hortismart Solution EOOD explained.
Awakening and critical phases of different fruit species
In winter, when fruit trees are in a state of deep dormancy, low temperatures do not cause frost damage to fruit and leaf buds. The temperature at which fruit buds are damaged depends primarily on their stage of development. When they begin to swell and develop into flowers, their resistance to low temperatures decreases.
Let’s take the apple for example. Of the fruit species grown in our country, it is the most cold-resistant. Withstands temperatures lower than -35.0 °C, which are rarely observed in our country. During flowering, however, critical temperatures are from -2.7 °C to -3.5 °C at the bud stage, from -1.6 °C to -2.2 °C at flowering and from -1.1 °C to -2.2 °C when the bonds are formed.
Research and observations over the years show that the apricot comes out of deep rest first, followed by the peach, the quince, the cherry, the pear, the plum and the apple.
Table: Periods of emergence from deep dormancy of fruit trees
Fruits January February March apricot 20.01 – 10.02 peach 30.01 – 25.02 quince 30.10 – 20.02 cherry 05.02 – 20.02 pear 02.02 – 28.02 plum 05.02 – 01.03 apple 10.02 – 01.03
After the so-called awakening in fruit trees, the following phenophases are observed: initiation of sap movement, bud swelling (green bud), bud burst (white/pink bud), defoliation, flowering, fruit and seed formation, autumn leaf coloration, and leaf fall.
Most critical and determining the future harvest is the period from the “bud swelling” phenophase to the “flowering and bunch formation” phenophase.
Frost damage depends on the stage of development of the fruit crop. (See HERE which are the critical low temperatures for the different fruit types according to the development phases provided by Hortismart Solutions Ltd.)
In order to have a full harvest of the stone fruit group such as peach, apricot, nectarine, you need 10-20% of the blossoms to turn into ripe fruit, while for cherries and sour cherries, you need at least 50% of the blossoms that survived the frost. In pome fruit species such as apples and pears, fruiting is normal with 10-15% surviving fruit buds.
Don’t overlook the climate stations
Many farmers rely mainly on meteorologists to anticipate frost and try to save their crops. But in the age of modern technology, this is not enough.
Anti-frost stoves by HortiSmart Solutions
HortiSmart Solutions offers reliable solutions, thanks to which you can react in time and be prepared for the frosts. Climate stations are available with a weather forecast subscription and those with an additional sensor and a frost subscription. The chances of protecting the crop increase significantly, especially if you also have effective technical means to combat spring frosts.
Protection methods
Fins against spring frosts of Hortismart Solutionwith
Hortismart Solutions offers almost all active frost protection methods. Raining over the crowns of trees and solid fuel stoves are also operational in frost – at temperatures down to -7°С, even -8°С. In this case, a combination of an anti-frost fin and a limited number of solid fuel stoves can be used to emit additional heat, which the fin spreads over a larger area.
Warning light
A relatively new product from HortiSmart Solutions’ range of innovative products is the SmartLite frost signal lamp. The product is produced in New Zealand and helps fruit growers and vine growers quickly navigate the change in temperatures when frosts occur. It is a portable and reliable instrument that measures atmospheric temperature, sending warning color-coded alarms that are quickly reported by fruit growers. The color of the light changes according to several preset temperature ranges.
When the SmartLite glows green, everything is fine
A flashing green light at long intervals means that everything is fine and the temperature is moving above +1°C. When the green light becomes constant, the temperature is between 0°C and +1°C. The white constant light is read as a temperature in the range of 0°C and -1°C and means that the water freezing process is starting. With a constant red light on the lamp – the temperature is between -2°C and -1°C, and when the lamp starts flashing red the temperature has dropped below -2°C.
SmartLite is waterproof and designed to withstand harsh spring and winter conditions.
More about frost protection can be found at: www.hortismart.solutions
Here SmartLite signals a dangerously low temperature
The frost signal lamp can be used to start and stop certain actions to protect fruit trees and vineyards. It allows for quick reporting of a change in temperatures as a result of the active countermeasures taken through wind machines, overhead and overhead rain, solid fuel stoves and even straw burning, which is not an effective solution. The lamp will also signal when the weather conditions change.
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