It’s that time of year again, when perennial crops begin to emerge from their slumber, and annual crops are getting ready to be planted. Jack Frost hasn’t yet migrated back to his home in the great north and continues to nip daily at the wallets of perennial crop growers and their future crop potential.

Nearly every year, the topic of frost and freeze protection comes up among farmers, which, depending on the level of severity, can be a critical necessity. Of all the Abiotic Stress triggers that occur throughout the growing season, this is typically the first in the annual calendar. Once plants have a few warm days, buds swell, signaling the start of a new season of growth. This early wakeup can be damaging if weather patterns shift and bring back cold and/or wet temperatures

Each crop species (and their various plant organics) have tolerable and survivable temperatures, and when water freezes inside cell walls (water expands when frozen), the cell walls are weakened and risk being exploited later in the season. The difference between frost and freeze tolerance varies by crop species. Subtle differences exist between cultivars, even simply in the level of health of the plant, to what degree frosts and freezes can be tolerated without cell damage, decay or death. The subsequent freezing and thawing of the sensitive tissues of young buds, flowers, blossoms, and young fruit is a major opportunity for plant stress mitigation via cultural, biological, and mineral means.

With cold nights killing beneficial leaf and soil surface bacteria, the potential for pathogen infiltration into sensitive tissue increases significantly, setting up the spring disease cycle. A few key pathogens, such as p. Syringae and Anthracnose, are common diseases that proliferate during this time frame that can cause significant crop losses. This can also cause the need for a large amount of fungicide/bactericide needs, and set the plant up for weak cell walls to be exploited by insects later on. 

Unfortunately, Abiotic stress triggers (frost, freeze, heat, drought, etc.) can limit the amount of potentially viable fruit at harvest time. At Apical, we consistently identify and mitigate crop stress through cutting-edge crop science. Our understanding of plant development has shown that significant crop loss is realized via plant stress from abiotic triggers. By relieving this stress, we’ve been able to preserve plant health and yield, leading to excellent economic outcomes in a wide range of crops.

The Apical research team has found a number of key techniques in the relevant literature presented below. In addition, we’ve compiled a list of active mineral and biological support solutions Apical has tested on farms across the USA that can also contribute to your efforts. In most cases, these are designed to relieve plant stress for a short-weather event. However, some of these support solutions are synergistic and systemic, and can have lasting effects if your crops go through a prolonged period of freezing and thawing.

We’ve included their action modes and tested these solutions on large acreage.  Suggested application rates may vary based on crop, so please call Apical at 503-479-8407 to learn about how to implement any of these strategies on your farm today!