Fruit growers protect against night frost in different ways

Last night, the 16^th April, many parts of The Netherlands and Belgium encountered a night frost which resulted in a lot of hard work for the fruit growers who needed to protect their crops. Happily, this appears to have generally been a success. As far as we know the cold caused no damage to the fruit trees or the fruits within. Fruit grower Peter Verhage from Verhage Fruit in Flevoland was well prepared and awake most of the night. His fruit trees cover 24 hectares. Next to the cherry trees he used braziers and the apples and pears were irrigated. "It was just under zero and blossoms cannot tolerate anything," said the grower.

Top fruit sprayed
"It is important to start protecting at half a degree above zero. Once it goes below zero then you are too late. You can have a reading above but you may never measure the coldest part of the orchard. Certainty is very important." He explains that cherries cannot take irrigation. "It is ok for apples and pears and the sprays have been on since one thirty last night. The irrigation is needed to ensure that a layer of ice is formed on the blossom so you have to keep going because once you stop the heat is retracted from the flower. Thankfully everything went well last night."

Lots of possibilities
He thinks that there is a good chance that more of these nights will follow. "It is early in the season so very possible that it will happen again. A few weeks ago we were almost at freezing point and some growers were water spraying. I did not do that. Pretty much all Dutch growers use some type of water irrigation. We are lucky to have lots of possibilities and good water. In some European countries it is a different story."

The Netherlands
It was coldest in North Brabant with a ground temperature of -7.2 degrees. The ground froze virtually everywhere apart from Vlissingen and Lauwersoog, and also higher up at 1.5 meter, before light, reported weeronline.nl on Wednesday. Higher up it was coldest in Gelderland with -2,9 degrees. According to the weather site, on Wednesday morning most people needed to clear their car windscreens.

Helicopter in Belgium
A fruit company in Belgium for the first time used a helicopter to protect their blossoms (apple and pear) against the frost that morning. Reports redactie.be. The helicopter flew over the field mixing the warm top air with the colder, bottom air, thus making the temperature a degree or so warmer. It won't be known for another day whether this was a success or not, all the plants must be inspected to see if they are broken, but there are high hopes.

Source film clip: NOS

Braziers were even in use in Limburg. Click here to watch the video.