Frost: Stress Mitigation in Subtropical Fruit Orchards

Subtropical regions are the areas experiencing hot summer and cold or frosty winters. Such regions lie between the temperate and tropical latitudes on the south and north of the equator. Under the NW sub-Himalayan conditions and in the adjoining plains, frost is a serious threat, especially for fruit crop cultivation. The cultivation of evergreen subtropical plants always remains under the threat of frost damage. Agricultural research has made significant advances in crop production practices but the technology for effective frost protection is still lacking. Scientists worldwide are working with enthusiasm, tenacity and dedication to keep up with this threat.

This book is a collection of information developed by the author and by others across the globe on the management of frosty situations. It is an initiative for developing understanding amongst the masses about frost, frost-induced freezing and options which can be explored for mitigating its ill effects. 

Besides giving an overview of frost and its impact on subtropical fruit plantations, this book is an attempt to convey a simplified version of the information on orchard energy balance, mechanism of damage to plant tissues and biomolecular aspects of plant defence. Keeping growers' perspectives in mind, the practical aspects and elaborations derived from open field studies have been duly considered while describing the frost sensitivity of crops, damage symptoms, frost prediction, delineation of frost-prone areas, and frost impact mitigation. The book is therefore a comprehensive narrative of theoretical and practical aspects of frost and its impact mitigation.