Assessment of the risk of frost damage

Abstract

The present expansion of the horticultural industry in New Zealand has meant that many areas are now being developed for horticulture that were previously devoted to some other form of agriculture. Many of the crops being grown in these new areas are sensitive to damage from spring frosts and therefore the need for frost protection is an important consideration in setting up such a venture. At present the need of frost protection is based on a subjective assessment of local conditions aided in some cases by data relating to the probability of occurrence of the last frost for the season.