Inspirational ideas: Sprinkler systems as protection against frost damage

This inspirational idea is also available in a Slovak version. 

Translation courtesy of the National Rural Network Slovakia. Read more EIP-AGRI inspirational ideas in Slovak on the NRN website. 

In EU orchards there are more economic losses due to frost damage than to any other weather-related phenomenon. Due to the effects of climate change, the growing season is becoming longer and fruit trees are starting to grow and flower earlier in the year. Spring frosts are therefore particularly dangerous when trees are in flower or have just set fruit. Polish Farmer Piotr Domasiewicz is finding ways to protect his apple orchard from frost damage.

In the Grójec area of Poland, Piotr Domasiewicz decided to use his sprinkler system to protect his fruit from Spring frosts. He has one of the biggest apple orchards in the area, covering 16 ha. He says: “In the past I tried other systems, but they were not that successful. Using artificial fogs was problematic as it reduced visibility for the cars on the roads nearby and wind machines were not optimal for the type of crop or the shape of the parcels. Nets reduced the apple colouring and heat candles were costly and not very effective.”

“I started using sprinkler systems for frost protection a few years ago. The sprinklers that I’m using can rotate 360°, with a spraying radius up to 13m. First, I tested the system on a 2 ha area. Luckily, the profits from the first season were sufficient enough for me to reinvest in more sprinklers. Now, sprinklers cover 10 ha of my farm - the areas most prone to frost damage. The other part is on a higher slope and therefore doesn’t need protection - the cold air tends to flow downwards.”

To efficiently prevent frost damage, the sprinklers have to start working at just the right moment. Piotr: “As soon as the temperature drops to 0˚C I start the sprinklers. To protect the fruit from frost at a temperature of -3°C to -5°C, I use 40m³ of water per hour per hectare. Sprinkling must continue until the ice cover on the plants is completely dissolved; this can sometimes take several hours. To prevent the plant tissue temperature from dropping too low between pulses of water, the water should be applied continuously. For water supplies I’m using rain and groundwater and there is a pond in the orchard. The sprinklers are very effective for frost protection in temperatures from 0°C to -4°C, but I have also used this method for a temperature of -8°C.”

“Water shortage during frost episodes has not been a problem so far. I’m currently monitoring the weather forecast myself via radio and television and thermometers in different places around the farm, switching the sprinklers on manually. The system may improve in the future, with automatic stations to monitor the weather and turn on the system when the temperature drops.”

Piotr finds the system highly effective and it proved economically very beneficial: “Sprinklers are multipurpose and can also be used for irrigation or fertigation. I would definitely recommend this method to other fruit farmers, despite the high initial installation cost. If your farm is in an area prone to Spring frost, it’s worth considering. During severe frost damage years, like 2017, it really benefited us. We managed to protect almost all of our orchard and therefore had hardly any loss in yield compared to a normal year.”

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