Named the most effective measures against frost during apple blossom
The best means of protection against late frosts on an apple tree are heating with heat generators on mobile platforms, air mixing with wind machines, as well as heating with candles, blowing and gibberellin treatments.
This is reported by the magazine "Ukrainian Horticulture".
Oleg Kitaev, candidate of biological sciences, senior researcher at the Institute of Horticulture of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine noted that another factor of climate change causes significant damage to apple orchards - late spring frosts. Apple flowers can be damaged when the temperature drops to -1.3 ... -2.5 ° C, and the ovary at -1.1 ... -2.0 ° C.
“Currently, various options for protecting flowering gardens are being developed and implemented using smoke, heating the air with large garden candles, kindling fires in the aisles using warm air generators on mobile platforms, as well as mixing air with ventilation,” the scientist noted.
He also added that sprinkling is used to delay flowering within 10-15 days, which avoids frosts.
“Direct sprinkling during the freeze only works when there is no wind. If the wind speed exceeds 2 m/s, the damage to the flowers increases,” the researcher warned.
He noted that a positive effect was obtained in the institute's research when flowering trees were treated with gibberellin solutions 5–6 hours before freezing.